Digitalization and administrative burdens

Denmark is often highlighted as a pioneer in public digitalization. Since 2015, digital self-service has been mandatory for Danish citizens for most public services and benefits. This represents a significant shift in citizens’ interaction with public authorities and places numerous demands on both citizens and authorities. We ask: How does public digitalization, including mandatory digital self-service and automation, affect citizens’ administrative burdens when they apply for public services in Denmark? We present a qualitative empirical study based on interviews, surveys, and observations with citizens and practitioners from the authorities Labour Market Supplementary Pension (ATP) and Udbetaling Danmark (Disbursement Denmark) (UDK). We investigate how the policy design and implementation of digital services affect citizens’ administrative burdens when they apply for pension and parental leave. The decision to introduce mandatory digital self-service initially resulted in increased administrative burdens for many citizens. However, ATP and UDK have subsequently reduced citizens’ administrative burdens through automation and by using data-driven analytics and qualitative research to improve their self-service solutions and communication. In line with previous studies, we see that the effects of digitalization are distributed both within and across service areas. There is a particular difference in the extent and type of administrative burdens that citizens in Denmark and abroad experience when they apply for public benefits. Finally, we see that both benefit and state characteristics influence public authorities’ possibility to reduce administrative burdens.