Phone waiting times for public services could be cut in half after successful AI trial, minister suggests
Phone centre waiting times for public services could be cut in half by using AI, a minister has suggested.
Speaking to Sky News, Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said the technology was “win-win” as it will save the taxpayer money and make the public experience better.
“I am determined to drive this technology through the government,” he added.
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Long waiting times has long blighted those trying to access services like Citizens Advice, HMRC and the DVLA.
But with the government talking of an AI revolution, one trial has used the tech to drastically reduce the volume of minutes spent on hold.
The Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) teams in Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford have managed to cut the average phone call length from eight minutes to four in a months’ long trial.
The AI helper, Caddy, was developed in house by the team in Manchester. Its success led to interest from the government, and there are now hopes it can be expanded into public services.
CAB is run as a series of charities. There are hopes Caddy will be rolled-out nationwide across the service later this year.
The Caddy software was first developed at the Citizens Advice Bureau. Pic: iStock
Rather than a robotic voice answering and directing callers, the software helps workers answer queries faster – and with greater confidence.
Stuart Pearson, the head of innovation at the CAB team in Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford, told Sky News: “Caddy frees our advisers to focus on what truly matters – listening, understanding, and providing personalised support to people during challenging times. This technology helps our staff and volunteers work more efficiently, but that person-to-person contact remains central to our service.
“For us, Caddy represents our commitment to embracing innovation while preserving the personal touch that has defined Citizens Advice for over 80 years. We want to use AI responsibly to help our people do even more good in communities across the country.”
The new system replaces the old ways of working, which including having to consult with colleagues and manually searching documentation – all of which required putting users on hold.
Instead, phone handlers can ask AI a question and quickly receive an answer based only on approved sources. The response is still checked by a senior member of staff.
“People won’t know when they’re calling that the person who is answering the call and assisting them is using the power of AI to get the right information to them much, much quicker – that means it’s a better experience,” Mr Kyle said.
“They get the information quicker, they can start to tackle the issues they’re calling about, you know, much more rapidly than before.
“And it also means that those volunteers working in Citizen’s Advice can actually speak to more people and help more people.”
The AI chatbot Caddy. The owl was the original symbol of Citizens Advice. Pic: DSIT
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When Labour came to power last year, they inherited creaking public services, with public confidence in the sector plummeting.
One poll from Ipsos released a month before the general election found that three quarters of Britons believed public services had worsened since 2019.
And a report on the sector released by the Institute for Government at the end of 2023 said: “Public services that have for years been creaking are now crumbling.”
Concerns were rife about issues like long phone waiting times. His Majesty’s Revenue And Customs (HMRC) was accused by MPs of deliberately cutting off tens of thousands of calls in a bid to get them using online services.
The department said the claims were “completely baseless”.
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The technology secretary was keen to emphasise the point of the AI assistant was to make interactions “more human” – and callers wouldn’t know it was being used.
Mr Kyle said: “HMRC, for example, has 100,000 conversations every single day.
“Imagine if we, on that scale, could halve the amount of time that people need to spend having that conversation, they have more time to do the things that they need to be doing, or actioning the things they are calling the help centre for in the first place.
“But also it means that the people who are delivering that service can speak to more people and therefore the service gets better.”
Away from trying to provide a better service, AI could pave a way for the government to save money.
Mr Kyle said that “headcount, costs, people, go into the decisions that departments make”.
But he also wants to drive a better quality of service through a digital transformation.
“That is an absolute priority, and there will be other productivity gains along the way.” he said. “And we’re determined to deliver on both.”
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Unions, however, want to make sure the government works alongside workers in a bid to prevent job losses.
Mike Clancy, the general secretary of Prospect, previously said there are “potentially large positives” for the use of AI in the civil service.
“But to make any technology work properly and to minimise the risks involved it needs to be introduced in consultation with their workforce, not imposed on them,” he added.
UK drivers are “confused” by the country’s electric car transition, ministers are being warned.
Although most drivers are not hostile towards electric vehicles (EVs), many are confused about what changes are coming and when, according to new research from the AA.
In a survey of more than 14,000 AA members, 7% thought the government was banning the sale of used petrol and diesel cars.
Around a third thought manual EVs exist, despite them all being automatic.
More than one in five said they would never buy an EV.
The government’s plan for increasing the number of electric vehicles being driven in the UK focuses heavily on increasing the supply of the vehicles.
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What you can do to reach net zero
In 2024, at least 22% of new cars and 10% of new vans sold by each manufacturer in the UK had to be zero-emission, which generally means pure electric.
Each year, those percentages will rise, reaching 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans in 2030.
Manufacturers will face fines of £15,000 per vehicle if electric vehicle sales fall short of 28% of total production this year.
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By 2035, all new cars and vans will be required to be fully zero emission, according to the Department for Transport.
Second-hand diesel and petrol cars will still be allowed to be sold after this date, and their fuel will still be available.
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In February, 25% of new cars were powered purely by battery and in January, they made up 21% of all new cars registered in the UK.
But despite the growth of electric sales, manufacturers continue to warn that the market will not support the growth required to hit government EV targets, and called for consumer incentives and the extension of tax breaks.
The AA suggested the government’s plan focuses on “supply but does little to encourage demand for EVs”.
It called on ministers to co-ordinate a public awareness campaign alongside the motoring industry which directly targets drivers who doubt the viability of EVs.
“Our message to government is more needs to be done to make EVs accessible for everyone,” said Jakob Pfaudler, AA chief executive.
Which? head of consumer rights Sue Davis said: “When it comes to making sustainable choices such as switching to an electric car, our research shows that people are often held back by high costs, complex choices or uncertainty.
“The government needs to provide the right information on electric vehicles and other sustainable choices so that people have the confidence to switch.”
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “We’re investing over £2.3bn to help industry and consumers make a supported switch to EVs.
“This includes installing a public charge point every 28 minutes, keeping EV incentives in the company car tax regime to 2030, and extending 100% first-year allowances for zero-emission cars for another year.
“Second-hand EVs are also becoming cheaper than ever, with one in three available under £20,000 and 21 brand new models available for less than £30,000.
“We’re seeing growing consumer confidence as a result.”
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