Unemployed Britons will soon be offered access to a government-backed digital assistant designed to help them complete job applications and other routine paperwork. The initiative, announced by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, aims to streamline public services but has already sparked concern among employers about a potential surge in unsuitable job applications.
The government will invite technology firms next week to develop the tool, which is expected to become operational in 2027. Officials said the so-called “digital helper” would be able to fill in forms, register patients at doctors’ surgeries, book flights, and update official records such as driving licence addresses. Ministers argue the system will modernise the state and cut down on what they describe as “life admin.”
The launch comes at a time of rising unemployment pressures. Latest figures show 3.7 million people are claiming Universal Credit without work requirements—over a million more than before Labour came to power. Meanwhile, the number of entry-level jobs has shrunk, increasing competition for available roles.
Recruiters have voiced concerns that the digital assistant could encourage a flood of mass applications, making it harder for hiring managers to identify genuine candidates. A recent report by jobs website Totaljobs found that almost three-quarters of hiring managers already feel overwhelmed by unsuitable CVs, many of which are generated using automated tools.
Claire McCartney of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development warned that while technology could be useful, misuse would risk “candidates being unsuitable for the roles they’ve applied for.” According to industry data, one in four employers is already trying to restrict the use of such tools in recruitment processes.
Neil Carberry, chief executive of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, noted the shift in application patterns. “If you are advertising a job you will get hundreds more CVs than a few years ago and a large number will demonstrate they haven’t really thought about the job,” he said. “They have done 50 applications in a couple of days where previously they’d have done 10 good ones.”
Employment levels have fallen by 164,000 since last autumn’s Budget, with some economists attributing the decline to higher business costs, particularly the increase in National Insurance contributions.
Defending the programme, Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said the initiative could position the UK as “the first country in the world to use agentic technology at scale.” He added: “We could provide a level of service to citizens across the country that was previously unimaginable—helping people to find better career opportunities and avoid wasting their time on government admin.”
Officials emphasise that use of the digital assistant will be voluntary. Nevertheless, employers remain wary that the system could worsen the volume of irrelevant applications rather than improving job-matching outcomes.
