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Web-novices get their own guide to online public services  

Whether you’re trying to find out when your bins are being collected or renewing your tax disc, looking up your local school or checking your pension entitlements, you could be saving time and hassle by doing it all online. 

More and more local and national government services are now available on the internet, but if you’re amongst the one in three adults in the UK who isn’t yet online, you’re still calling your council for information and queuing up to complete forms.  Now there’s a new facility which can help you get to grips with online public services, with a little bit of support from your local UK online centre. 

UK online centres across the country help hundreds of people get online every day with myguide – the easy way to use the internet.  The new myguide short course – Using online public services – includes a basic introduction to a typical council website and to Directgov, the one stop shop for central government services. 

Managing Director of UK online centres, Helen Milner, explains:  “It may seem a bit odd asking people without computer skills to get onto a computer to learn about online public services, but actually it makes perfect sense.  The best way to learn about something is to see it and try it for yourself, and myguide makes that really easy.  Everything is simply laid out and easy to understand – it doesn’t matter if you’ve never even touched a computer before because with myguide you can start from the beginning – set up an email account, search for information and even learn how to use a keyboard and mouse.  In fact nearly 100,000 people have already registered to make it their gateway to the world wide web.  
“If you know a bit about the internet you can go to www.myguide.gov.uk and try myguide and all its courses for yourself - with maybe a bit of help from an internet savvy friend or relative.  But if you’re a bit more nervous, you can go into your nearest UK online centre and get as much help as you need to get going.”

The course is being backed by education Minister Jim Knight.  He adds:  “A majority of people would now prefer to use the internet for public services. And there’s good reason for that - they tell us it saves them time, provides them with easy to use information and services and makes it simpler to do things relating to government.  Whether it’s applying for a school place or applying for child benefit we want everyone to be able to find the services they’re after in the way that’s quickest, easiest and most convenient for them.  Until you’ve tried it online, you’re not going to know which route suits you best!  So if you think you might need a bit of extra help getting started, get onto myguide and have a look at this new facility, or drop into one of the thousands of UK online centres across the country.”

The guide is for all ages. One new online government services fan is 60 year old Frank.  He says:  “When I first thought about checking-up on my pension, I couldn’t find all the information I wanted, or any help in understanding all that jargon.  Then I was introduced to Directgov at a UK online centre.  It was brilliant!  Everything I was looking for was right there - and the information I found is already making a difference.  It was really good to have the centre staff around to ask if I couldn’t find or didn’t understand something, and they couldn’t have been more helpful.  Without being pointed in the right direction, I wouldn’t even have known the website existed, and I might never have found out I was entitled to more than I was getting.  Money isn’t everything, but there’s no point in pretending it doesn’t make life easier!  I’ve been really pleased with the advice I got from the pensions bit, and now I’m a real convert to e-government.”

To follow in Frank’s footsteps, log onto www.myguide.gov.uk to find the new online public services course, or find your nearest UK online centre by calling 0800 77 1234.  

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For more information about this press release, please contact Abi Stevens, UK online centres, 0778 666 0689 – This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Notes to editors