Question Period Note: A SINGLE SIGN-IN PORTAL FOR GOVERNMENT SERVICES

How will a “Single Sign-In Portal for government services” work, and how does it benefit Canadians?

• A single sign-in service will allow individuals and businesses to obtain benefits and services quickly and easily from Government of Canada.
• Canadians can expect to obtain different government services online using a single sign-in method.
• The Government of Canada is dedicated to the security and privacy of Canadians, and the service will be built with this in mind.

Digital credentials are the electronic equivalent of physical identification documents that can be held and shared through a digital wallet. They let individuals and businesses access services more conveniently and privately. Their use is completely voluntary.

The Government of Canada is committed to establishing a modern and secure approach to digital credentials that enables individuals and businesses to quickly and easily sign in and verify their identities to obtain federal services.

The federal government has over 60 different online programs and services where identity verification is required, each with their own verification system. The result is an inconsistent experience in obtaining government services digitally.

“One thing to understand about how the federal government is built is it’s incredibly siloed within the individual departments […] Every time a Canadian wants to get a new service, they have to reintroduce themselves to whichever department they’re dealing with.”
- Minister Beech, Budget 2024: Online benefits platform gets $2.9 billion update | iPolitics

Establishing a single sign-in service is a key step to breaking down the silos in individual departments and improving access to government services, improving the service experience for users.