Customer Experience
Education launches 2025-26 FAFSA following weeks of testing
The public release of the online form follows a delayed and glitchy version released last year.
Satisfaction with government hits record high just before a new Trump admin
The incoming Trump administration casts an uncertain light on the customer experience gains made in recent years.
Cutting red tape is key to financial inclusion, Treasury says
A new Department of Treasury strategy calls on those delivering government programs to make them easier to access.
Bipartisan Senate duo seeks to push IRS customer service forward
The tax agency is already working on some of the items in the bill — like improving online accounts.
CX bill passes Senate committee
The proposal is one of many that moved through House and Senate committees this week, including a transparency bill that brings additional congressional oversight to the General Services Administration.
SSA has a plan, but wants more funding to get it done
The 2024 agenda’s top priorities for the remainder of the year stem from over 5,000 recommendations from employees.
IRS program to assist poor taxpayers rarely picks up the phone
TIGTA investigators were unable to leave a message at 16 local Taxpayer Advocate Service offices because their voicemail boxes were full.
Updated
Benefits.gov to shutter in September
The Labor Department’s benefits-focused website dates back to 2002.
Education says a new system will help borrowers — lawmakers aren’t so sure
“This new system lacks transparency,” four senators told the Department of Education.
Biden looks to preserve tech, cyber legacy with veto threat
Experts see continuity in tech policy from the Biden administration to a possible Kamala Harris presidency, with possible divergence on some national security and antitrust issues.
OMB touts 'time tax' reductions for government services
Sam Berger, associate administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, spoke with Nextgov/FCW about progress made and what’s next.
Jobless aid programs get a facelift under a bipartisan Senate proposal
The bill responds to asks from the oversight community, in addition to instituting requirements for states administering the funds.
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Exit interview: OMB’s CX guru Amira Boland
Amira Boland was the first to take on the role of customer experience lead at the White House, and she sees great potential even beyond her departure.
Education secretary pledges troubled online student aid tool will be ready for next fall
The online Free Application for Federal Student Aid tool had a rocky release, with bad data and uptime problems, but the Department of Education is looking for improvements next year.
IRS considers future of Direct File pilot
The agency hasn’t decided if it’ll field the program long term but does say that user feedback of the tool has largely been positive.
Exclusive
30,000 died in fiscal 2023 waiting for disability decisions from Social Security
SSA Commissioner Martin O’Malley sat down with Nextgov/FCW recently to talk through the agency’s biggest challenges, including how it delivers disability assistance.
Feds move to make gov websites more accessible to people with disabilities
It’s the first time the federal government has ever issued rules clarifying how the more than 30-year-old Americans with Disabilities Act applies online. But the new rules come with a hefty price tag for state and local governments.
100,000 have used IRS Direct File to submit their tax returns
The agency has not yet determined whether the pilot program for the tool will be extended into a permanent offering.
The long tail of modernization
Why CX is an ongoing journey and not a destination.
SSA needs funding to address its ‘customer service crisis,’ commissioner says
Applicants have to wait eight months on average for an initial disability decision.
