The Role of Digital Government Services in Major Life Events: A Deep Dive into Citizen Journeys

Introduction

Major life events—such as births, deaths, moving house, marriage, and job changes—are pivotal moments that often require Australians to interact with government services. Increasingly, these interactions are happening through digital channels, reshaping the citizen experience and the expectations placed on public sector service delivery. Understanding how Australians engage with digital government services during these transitions reveals both the progress made and the gaps that remain, especially for vulnerable and diverse communities.

Digital Engagement at Life’s Key Moments

The appetite for digital government services in Australia is robust and growing. Nearly all Australians (94%) have used at least one digital government service, with the highest engagement seen in healthcare, finance, and general services like myGov. Life events are a major driver of this engagement: two-thirds of Australians experienced a significant life event in the past year, and the majority turned to digital channels for support.

Which Life Events Drive the Most Digital Engagement?

Births and Marriages: Digital engagement peaks during births and marriages, with 92% and 88% of citizens, respectively, using online government services for these events. The introduction of digital birth certificates, such as the NSW Digital ID program, exemplifies how digital solutions can streamline and secure these processes.
Moving House and New Jobs: Moving house (19%) and starting a new job (23%) are also common triggers for digital service use, especially among Gen Z and Millennials. However, while many seek digital support, a notable portion report difficulty finding the services they need or not being aware of available options.
Bereavement and Disability: Support for the death of a loved one and for those experiencing disability remains less developed. Only 41% of citizens considered digital government support during bereavement, and people with disabilities are nearly twice as likely as the general population to find that digital channels do not cover their needs.

Where Do Citizens Find Value?

Australians overwhelmingly cite convenience, time savings, and simplicity as the main benefits of digital government services. For life events, digital channels are valued for making complex processes more transparent and manageable. In New South Wales, for example, 48% of respondents said online services made life event tasks easier—the highest satisfaction rate nationally.

Gaps and Opportunities in Digital Support

Despite high usage, significant gaps persist:

Awareness and Accessibility: 32% of Australians who experienced a major life event were either unaware of relevant digital services or could not find what they needed. This gap is most pronounced among older Australians (Builders), with 56% unaware of available digital support.
Bereavement and Disability Services: Digital support for bereavement is underutilized and underpublicized. People with disabilities, while enthusiastic about digital services, often find that their specific needs are not met online—22% report that digital channels do not cover the services they require.
Rural and Minority Communities: Australians in rural areas are almost twice as likely as those in cities to have never accessed digital government services. Indigenous and minority groups, while often more open to digital and AI-driven services, express a greater need for guidance and support in navigating these systems.

Demographic Differences in Digital Journeys

Age: Younger Australians (Gen Z and Millennials) are the most likely to experience major life events and to seek digital support, but they are also the most likely to report unmet needs. Older Australians are less likely to use digital channels and more likely to be unaware of available services.
Financial Status: Those in precarious financial situations experience more life events and are more likely to use digital services during these times. However, they may require additional support due to lower digital literacy and comfort with technology.
Minority and Indigenous Groups: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are above-average users of digital services, particularly for employment, family, and legal needs. They value service customization and are more open to AI-driven personalization, but also seek more guidance and the ability to track service progress.
People with Disabilities: This group is highly enthusiastic about digital services and open to personalization, but faces the highest rate of unmet needs due to service gaps.

Best Practices from High-Performing States

New South Wales stands out for its citizen-centric approach, reporting the highest satisfaction and ease of use for digital services during life events. Initiatives like the Service NSW App and digital birth certificates have set benchmarks for convenience and accessibility. The state’s focus on gathering citizen feedback and iteratively improving digital products has been key to its success.

Recommendations for Improving Digital Life Event Journeys

Increase Awareness: Proactive communication and outreach are needed to ensure citizens know what digital services are available, especially for less-publicized life events like bereavement or disability support.
Enhance Accessibility: Services must be designed with inclusivity in mind, addressing the needs of people with disabilities, those in rural areas, and minority groups. This includes providing guidance, support, and options for tracking service progress.
Personalize and Integrate Services: Leveraging AI and data, governments can offer more tailored experiences—pre-filling forms, recommending relevant services, and linking related processes across agencies.
Simplify and Streamline: Citizens value simplicity and efficiency. Reducing the number of steps, eliminating redundant information requests, and ensuring clear, jargon-free communication will drive higher satisfaction and uptake.
Build Trust and Security: Addressing concerns around data privacy and control is essential, particularly for older Australians and those less comfortable with digital technology.

Conclusion: A Citizen-Centric, Journey-Based Future

Life events are defining moments for government-citizen interaction. While Australia has made significant strides in digitizing these journeys, there is a clear mandate to close awareness and accessibility gaps, especially for vulnerable populations. By adopting a customer-centric, journey-based approach—one that learns from high-performing states and prioritizes inclusivity, personalization, and trust—governments can ensure that digital services truly support Australians through life’s most important transitions.

About Publicis Sapient

Publicis Sapient is a digital transformation partner helping established organizations get to their future, digitally-enabled state, both in the way they work and the way they serve their customers. We help unlock value through a strategy-led and customer-centric approach, fusing strategy, consulting, and customer experience with agile engineering and problem-solving creativity. For more information, visit publicissapient.com.