The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology published two open letters on 17 July 2026, one addressed to business leaders across the economy and one to the financial sector, asking firms to work with government on making essential private digital services easier to use, more accessible and less exclusionary. The letters treat services such as paying bills, managing money, accessing transport and using news services as part of the basic digital infrastructure of everyday life. (gov.uk) The notable point is that DSIT is framing poor private-sector service design as a public policy issue, rather than leaving it solely to customer service teams or individual firms. In the department's account, essential online services now shape whether people can participate fully in society and the economy. (gov.uk)
In the general letter to industry, DSIT says a strong and growing evidence base shows that many people are online without being confident or independent users of digital services. The letter states that around 27% of UK adults are narrow internet users and around 43% ask somebody else to do something for them online. (gov.uk) That framing moves the discussion away from simple questions of connection. According to the letters, exclusion can arise because services are frustrating, inconsistent or difficult to complete, with weak support when something goes wrong; access alone does not guarantee usable access. (gov.uk)
The two letters are similar in structure but not identical in tone. The version sent to finance, issued with HM Treasury, recognises that firms in that sector have already invested in inclusive design, accessibility testing, clearer customer processes and additional support for people with complex needs, and says many organisations are already seen as leading practice. (gov.uk) The broader industry letter is firmer. It says voluntary collaboration is the government's preferred route, but adds that ministers will keep under review whether further intervention is needed to secure progress at the pace required. The finance letter is slightly softer, saying government is open to views on whether further action may be helpful to improve consistency across the economy. Taken together, the wording suggests that financial services are being treated as a comparatively mature sector, while other essential services are being asked to improve more quickly. (gov.uk)
Across both texts, ministers set out the same three practical aims: services should be easy to understand, designed with disabled people and those at risk of digital exclusion in mind, and built so that privacy, safety and security do not add unnecessary complexity. DSIT also says it wants industry partners to agree a clearer definition of the problem, a shared view of what good looks like, and a cross-sector roadmap with a timeline for adoption. (gov.uk) That matters because the department is not starting with a legal standard or a procurement rule. It is starting with a voluntary process - and, in the general industry letter, expressly a standards-led one - backed by roundtable engagement; the published letters refer to a roundtable on 13 July 2026 as the opening step in that work. (gov.uk)
The move sits within a broader government programme on digital inclusion. In its update on the Digital Inclusion Action Plan, DSIT said the government's approach rests on four strands: digital skills, access to devices and the internet, simpler online services with offline options, and trusted local support. The same update said public services should never be digital-only and reported that the Service Manual had already been revised to make inclusion and accessibility guidance clearer for public sector teams. (gov.uk) The new letters extend that thinking beyond government departments and into essential private provision. That is a meaningful policy step because public bodies already face specific accessibility regulations for websites and apps, while all UK service providers are under wider duties to make reasonable adjustments under equality law. What has not been announced here is a new private-sector compliance regime equivalent to the rules that apply to public services. (gov.uk)
For firms, the likely test is not only whether a site passes technical checks, but whether people can complete essential tasks without repeated failure, confusion or reliance on another person. The letters place accessibility alongside safety, privacy and security, which points to a broader service design standard focused on end-to-end usability rather than narrow compliance alone. (gov.uk) For consumers, especially disabled people and those at higher risk of digital exclusion, the practical issue is whether everyday processes become simpler and whether meaningful help is available when digital channels break down. The letters do not set deadlines, formal metrics or an enforcement route, so the immediate outcome will depend on whether DSIT can turn this invitation into a credible roadmap that firms are prepared to follow. (gov.uk)
Formally, the publication is correspondence rather than a consultation document. In policy terms, however, it sets expectations for sectors that deliver services many people increasingly rely on online. DSIT has named the problem, asked industry to help define a solution and kept open the possibility of stronger government action if voluntary progress proves insufficient. (gov.uk) The next points to watch are whether the department publishes a common standard of good practice, whether the cross-sector timetable becomes public, and whether the government eventually moves from coordination to firmer oversight. Until then, the letters amount to a clear statement that poor digital design is being treated as a barrier to participation in economic and social life, not simply as an inconvenience for users. (gov.uk)