Residents will soon need to create new online accounts to access the customer services offered by Ealing Council on its website, such as finding out when your next benefit payment is due, paying your council tax or applying for a council tax discount online.

It is part of a two-year programme to improve the council’s digital and customer services and, once complete, it will make it easier and quicker to do your business with the council.

If you have signed up on the Ealing Council website www.ealing.gov.uk already, keep a look out later in the year for more information on what to do next to create your new account so you are able to use the new services when they are ready. If you have not signed up yet, you will still be able to.

At the end of the two-year programme, the majority of the council’s services will be accessible through these online accounts and you will be able to track the progress of your transactions at any time and from anywhere. Businesses will also be able to carry out their transactions online for the first time.

Councillor Joanna Camadoo-Rothwell, the council’s cabinet member for community safety and inclusion, said: “We are putting residents and businesses at the heart of this programme, so our online services become as easy and efficient as possible for them to use. We’re also improving things so that, in future, they will no longer need to resend documents that they have already provided, making it simpler when dealing with a different department or service in the council.

“We know that using council services online through smart phones and online devices could pose challenges for a few residents, so we will ensure help is available if someone contacts the council’s customer service centre.”