Tablet use rises for government online processes, reports Ofcom

The proportion of people using a tablet to complete government processes online has risen sharply over the past year, according to a survey by communications watchdog Ofcom.

The regulator's 2016 report into adults’ media use and attitudes found that around one in six (16 per cent) said they are most likely to use a tablet for these tasks, compared to nine per cent last year.

The proportion of those saying they mostly use a laptop – still the most popular device - has dropped from 52 per cent to 45 per cent, with 16 per cent saying they use a smartphone, up from 14 per cent last year. Only one in four mainly use a desktop computer.

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Ofcom’s report explored the profile and behaviour of people who use public services to look for news about or events in their local area; look for public services on government sites such as gov.uk and HMRC; complete government processes such as registering for tax credits, renewing a driving licence, car tax or passport, and completing a tax return; look for information on public services provided by their local council; sign an online petition; look at political or campaigning websites; and to contact a local councillor or their MP online.

The report said: “Four of the seven public or civic activities have been undertaken by a majority of internet users: looking for news about or events in your local area (73 per cent), looking for public services information on government sites such as gov.uk and HMRC (68 per cent), completing government processes online (66 per cent) and looking for information on public services provided by your local council (62 per cent).”

A third of internet users have never completed any government process online. Another third (34 per cent) of the internet users who do not complete government processes online say that this is because they prefer some kind of verbal contact, either by phone or by talking to someone in person, or because they think the process cannot be done online.

Across the whole of the society, nine in ten adults use a mobile phone, unchanged since 2010. However, there has been a four percentage point rise since 2014 in the proportion of people using a smartphone.