Digital
ScotAccount: Supporting more people to access digital public services
August 26, 2026 by Stewart Hamilton No Comments | Category Digital Scotland, ScotAccount
Blog post by David Duncan-Fraser, ScotAccount Service Owner.
As more public services move online, making those services accessible to as many people as possible has never been more important. Whether someone is registering for a service, proving who they are, or accessing support, the experience should be inclusive and straightforward.
That commitment to digital inclusion is at the heart of ScotAccount.
Our recent introduction of HM Passport Office (HMPO) verification to ScotAccount gives people an additional secure and trusted way to verify their identity. ScotAccount is helping to reduce barriers that can prevent people from accessing online services by widening the range of verification capabilities we support. This creates a more inclusive experience by recognising that people have different circumstances, different forms of identification, and different levels of digital engagement. A more flexible approach helps ensure that more people can access services in a way that works for them.
A step change for younger users
For younger people, proving identity online can sometimes be challenging. Traditional digital verification methods often rely on information linked to an established digital footprint, such as financial activity, and is something that many younger users may not have.
Offering HMPO verification provides an alternative route, giving users another way to confirm their identity. ScotAccount can help make digital services more accessible and inclusive for younger people who might otherwise struggle to complete the verification process.
Inclusion remains the priority
More broadly, increasing the range of verification routes helps ensure that digital services work for a wider range of users. It reflects ScotAccount’s commitment to accessibility and inclusion, recognising that no single verification method will meet everyone’s needs.
That’s why ScotAccount continues to expand, giving users greater flexibility while maintaining high standards of security and trust. This means continuing to improve our identity verification, learning from user experiences, and designing services that take account of different needs and circumstances.
Alongside alternative verification routes, further digital inclusion efforts will continue to focus on ensuring that people are not excluded from accessing services because of barriers to technology, confidence or capability.
Digital inclusion is about more than simply getting people online. It is about designing services around real people and recognising that different users have different needs and levels of confidence. Listening to users, learning from their experiences and continuously improving the service are all key parts of that approach.
Opportunities for organisations
For organisations already using ScotAccount – and those considering its adoption – the introduction of HMPO verification has demonstrated how expanding identity verification can improve inclusion. We are applying those lessons more widely, exploring how information from official documents can be validated against authoritative sources to make identity verification simpler, and more reliable to further protect against fraud and error.
ScotAccount can help organisations deliver digital services that are secure, inclusive and centred around the needs of their users. We do this through offering multiple verification routes, trusted data sources and appropriate user support.
Why this matters
Every organisation wants its services to be accessible to the widest possible audience. ScotAccount continues to evolve, improving inclusion while maintaining high levels of trust and security.
For organisations, adopting ScotAccount means they benefit from a growing authentication and verification service for reuse across the public sector. For users, it means more opportunities to access public services securely and confidently. It is how we are supporting public services that are simpler, more accessible and designed around the people who use them.
Get involved
We invite public sector organisations in Scotland to get in touch with us to learn about the benefits of ScotAccount. Whether your service is already live or in development, you can see how ScotAccount works by joining our test environment.
How to get started:
For more info:
Click the image below to watch our explainer video:
Tags: digital, Digital Directorate, digital identity, digital public services, ScotAccount, scottish government
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