Access is failing some Kiwis
Digital solutions are not best for everyone, or in every situation. The Government needs to recognise this, says Andrew Hubbard.
At Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) we have a vision where government services are easily accessible to everyone, in ways that work for them.
This means services that put people at the centre, treat everyone with dignity and respect the way you want to contact them, whether that’s over the phone, in person or online. Unfortunately, it appears the Government does not share this vision.
Every day our volunteers (we have more than 2500 operating out of 81 CABs) see people who are struggling to access government services because of the shift to providing them primarily, or sometimes only, online.
The shift to services that are digital-only or digital by default is leaving people frustrated, isolated and unable to access basic rights and entitlements.
We need, and are entitled to, government services that serve the public and their diverse needs.
Instead, we’re seeing clients who are finding it difficult, or impossible, to access services they need, because they are not being designed for the real needs of people.
A recent example of this was a client who was bullied at work and wanted to apply for employment mediation. He found the process very stressful but was determined because he didn’t want the same to happen to anyone else.
The application had to be done online, and he didn’t have the required RealMe login. There was also a pre-application form to download, complete and then upload along with his application. He found the online process overwhelming and inaccessible to him, so came to the CAB for help.
Is this an example of a service designed with people at the centre, or one designed for the needs of the government agency?
There’s the client who wanted to apply for income support, made an appointment and turned up only to be told to apply online, even though she doesn’t have a computer or smartphone. The client whose tax rebate went to the wrong account, who couldn’t navigate Inland Revenue’s systems to correct it, and simply wanted to be able to talk to someone about it.
W e have thousands more such stories of clients we’re having to help, because government services aren’t accessible to the people who need them most.
We all go through stressful periods of life, whether it’s losing a job, the death of a family member, a family breakup, or the everyday challenges of parenting, relationships and making ends meet, and these points of stress are often times when we need to interact with government services.
We’re simply asking that the Government recognise that digital solutions aren’t best for everyone, or in every situation. People should be able to pick up the phone without having to be in a queue for an hour, and they should have the option of seeing someone face to face in order to get help.
To be clear, the growth of online platforms and processes isn’t the problem. It’s the over-reliance on them and the removal of people from the delivery of government services. While online services work well for many people, there are times when they simply don’t work, and times when people need to speak to someone who is there to help them. The Government needs to recognise this, and take action.
It is clear to us that the public service is heading towards a digital-only future that will create greater disadvantages for many and marginalise and harm some of the most vulnerable people in our community. We’re worried and concerned about what we are seeing.
That’s why we are campaigning for inclusive public services and calling on Public Service Minister Chris Hipkins, Public Service Commissioner Peter Hughes and heads of government agencies to show leadership.
Access to public services – the ability to get our entitlements and fulfil our obligations – is a human right. We are asking the Government to ensure this right for all New Zealanders now and into the future.
Andrew Hubbard is deputy chief executive of Citizens Advice Bureau New Zealand-Ngā Pou Whakawhirinaki o Aotearoa.