Face-to-face public service centres like jobcentres and passport offices could be scrapped in favour of websites within four years, the Prime Minister has said.What they fail to realize is not everyone is computer literate, nor does everyone even have one. But I suppose they'll be supplying every citizen with a laptop and broadband connection now?
New plans to be unveiled next week aim to move all public services online within four years.
The plans could make face-to-face transactions a thing of the past – and could mean the end of hundreds of call centres and benefit offices.
Tens of thousands of public sector jobs could be scrapped in Jobcentres, passport centres and town halls as a result of the plans, which the government says will save £4 billion over four years.
The government wants everybody in the country to have a personalised website within a year.
The sites will initially be used to apply for a school places, book doctor’s appointments, claim benefits, get a new passport, pay council tax or register cars.
And within three years it will be possible to interact with teachers or ask your doctor for medical advice using the site, which the plans describe as ‘a government version of facebook.’
Mr Brown will also argue that using text messages to remind people of GP appointments could reduce the £600 million annual cost of missed NHS appointments.
The government said the plans would have ‘huge economic benefits.’
But union leaders and privacy experts have criticised the plans.
They said elderly and disabled people would find it difficult to use the service and that the plans raised serious concerns over privacy, data protection and fraud.
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