Digital Government
Education secretary pledges troubled online student aid tool will be ready for next fall
The online Free Application for Federal Student Aid tool had a rocky release, with bad data and uptime problems, but the Department of Education is looking for improvements next year.
Digital Government
IRS considers future of Direct File pilot
The agency hasn’t decided if it’ll field the program long term but does say that user feedback of the tool has largely been positive.
Exclusive
Digital Government
30,000 died in fiscal 2023 waiting for disability decisions from Social Security
SSA Commissioner Martin O’Malley sat down with Nextgov/FCW recently to talk through the agency’s biggest challenges, including how it delivers disability assistance.
Digital Government
Feds move to make gov websites more accessible to people with disabilities
It’s the first time the federal government has ever issued rules clarifying how the more than 30-year-old Americans with Disabilities Act applies online. But the new rules come with a hefty price tag for state and local governments.
Digital Government
100,000 have used IRS Direct File to submit their tax returns
The agency has not yet determined whether the pilot program for the tool will be extended into a permanent offering.
Digital Government
SSA needs funding to address its ‘customer service crisis,’ commissioner says
Applicants have to wait eight months on average for an initial disability decision.
Digital Government
Biden seeks more than $500M for CX in 2025 budget
New digital service teams and a focus on the "voice of the customer" are among the customer experience funding requests in the FY2025 budget request.
Digital Government
IRS touts launch of Direct File pilot
The pilot, which allows eligible taxpayers to file directly with the IRS for free, marks a new free option from the IRS, which has for decades relied on private companies to field free options for Americans.
Ideas
Checking in on digital government in China
COMMENTARY | Steve Kelman writes that an online system for registering complaints and comments about government services has its roots in China's imperial past.
Digital Government
IRS opens up Direct File to the public
Interested taxpayers will have to watch the IRS website to see when the tool is open for new users.
Digital Government
Labor Department experiments with AI in unemployment systems
The agency plans to use the current “calm” in unemployment claims to better prepare for the next storm.
Digital Government
Education Dept. debuts simpler online financial aid form, but users face a restricted rollout
The redesigned form features as few as 18 questions instead of potentially more than 100.
Exclusive
Digital Government
TSA survey reveals 93% of travelers satisfied with passenger experience
Even more travelers were confident in the Transportation Security Administration’s ability to keep air travel safe.
Digital Government
OMB releases ‘broad’ accessibility guidance for government tech
This is the first new guidance on Section 508 in a decade.
Ideas
A New Year's resolution to improve government forms
COMMENTARY | A good digital form uses human-centered design to ensure a positive and frictionless experience, one so easy you barely even think about it
Digital Government
IRS direct file participants will have to use ID.me for identity verification
The agency still isn't ready to field the government-provided Login.gov for digital access to taxpayer services.
Modernization
State Department restores passport processing to pre-pandemic levels
A hiring surge and mandatory overtime has brought passport processing down to its lowest level in years.
Digital Government
Digital park passes could become reality under a new legislative proposal
The new, bipartisan recreation-focused package is aimed at cutting red tape around national parks and public land, its backers say.
Ideas
Can improving CX help restore trust in government?
COMMENTARY | To protect benefit programs from abuse while delivering a cohesive CX, agencies need to take an omnichannel approach that harmonizes online, mobile, call center and in-person contacts and incorporates robust remote identity proofing.
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