Handling things online with the municipality is often a hassle. Filling out forms, submitting documents, repeatedly looking up the same information. And it’s exactly the people who need the most support who face the biggest bureaucratic burden.
An ID wallet can make this easier: store your data once and use it without hassle afterward. But while the government focuses on giving people control over their data and simplifying administration, what people mainly want is to handle their affairs quickly and easily. And if it takes too much effort, they don’t even get started.
That’s where the real challenge lies: how do we ensure ID wallets not only work technologically, but also truly deliver value to the people who need them the most?
That’s why, in a pilot project with the Municipality of Nijmegen, Ver.ID, InnoValor, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Dutch Employee Insurance Agency (UWV), we’re researching the use of ID wallets in municipal services. In our project, we’re not investigating whether ID wallets work, but when and for whom they work. Our focus is on socially and digitally vulnerable groups—people who rely on municipal services, who may have limited digital skills, or lack access to the right tools. Technology is just a means to an end; the real question is how we can redesign services so that these people directly benefit.
Insight 1: It needs to deliver value immediately
People will only start using something new if they notice it brings immediate benefits. And that’s where things get tricky: many ID wallets are introduced with the promise of “more control over your own data,” but for most people, that’s not a compelling reason to start using them.
User tests show that when an ID wallet is only used for a small service—like a social participation program or a bus pass—people see it as a lot of effort for little reward. That’s a risk: if the first use feels too complicated, people drop out before discovering the real benefits.
The success of an ID wallet doesn’t just depend on how user-friendly it is, but especially on how quickly someone experiences that it actually helps them. It shouldn’t be another step in the process, but should immediately feel like a convenience. That means we need to rethink how ID wallets are introduced and applied in practice.
Insight 2: The people who deal most with the municipality have the most to gain
Citizens who regularly apply for municipal services face the most bureaucratic hassle. From debt relief to entrepreneurs who constantly have to submit documents—these groups are repeatedly asked to gather and submit their data.
With an ID wallet, this could be simpler: securely store your data once and reuse it afterwards. This not only reduces the administrative burden, but also lowers the barrier to applying for services.
To ensure ID wallets truly work for these groups, we’re designing the user experience so that it feels intuitive and effortless from the first moment. People need to understand how it works right away, without technical obstacles. The setup must prevent users from getting lost in digital steps and must immediately simplify the process of applying for services.
The goal isn’t just to introduce a new digital system, but to make municipal services structurally more accessible and smarter.
Insight 3: Not everyone will use an ID wallet, and we should already take that into account
No matter how accessible ID wallets become, there will always be a group for whom a digital solution doesn’t work—people without smartphones, without digital skills, or with distrust in online identification. If ID wallets are truly meant to improve services, we must already be thinking about how these people can experience the same benefits without having to use an ID wallet themselves.
This means support must be included from the very beginning of the design. Not everyone will be able or willing to use an ID wallet independently, but that doesn’t mean they should miss out on improvements to municipal services. People should be able to get help from family members, volunteers, or legal guardians—without creating extra barriers.
There should also be alternatives in place so that non-digital users don’t get stuck in a system that increasingly excludes them.
If we don’t consider these non-digital users from the start, we risk creating a system that unintentionally excludes them even more. ID wallets shouldn’t be isolated solutions—they should contribute to a fundamental change in how municipalities deliver services: less bureaucracy, less administrative burden, and more accessibility, even for those who aren’t digitally skilled.
Conclusion: ID wallets are the means, not the end goal
ID wallets have the potential to fundamentally change how people experience municipal services. But if the rollout only focuses on technology and regulations, we risk losing the very people who would benefit most.
The real change lies not in the technology, but in how we redesign services around people's needs. By ensuring ID wallets deliver immediate value, focusing on ease of use, and recognizing that not everyone is digitally skilled.
Our project isn’t about whether ID wallets work—but for whom, and under what conditions, they truly add value. Because only when it works for all residents, does it really work.
