In response to comments made during the public consultation on the Gender Recognition Act, which highlighted how cumbersome and expensive the current approach was, the government pledged to modernize the application process.
By lowering the cost of applying for a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) to £5 last year, Minister for Women and Equalities Liz Truss announced the first stage of this procedure and encouraged more people to apply.
With today’s news, the GRC application will be consolidated into a single GOV.uk portal, relieving individuals of their administrative duties and streamlining the procedure.
Kemi Badenoch, a minister of state for equality, said:
“We want transgender people to live and thrive in contemporary Britain in freedom.
“Those who participated in the Gender Recognition Act consultation requested a streamlined and centralized procedure, therefore I’m thrilled to introduce this better service today.
“This government will keep giving top priority to programs that will better the lives of LGBT people all around the nation.”
In order to make sure the new online service fits the needs of applicants and eliminates the hurdles mentioned in the consultation, it has been carefully developed and put through rigorous testing with trans persons.
In light of this, the instructions have been clarified, and the procedure has been made less opaque and bureaucratic.
In accordance with Government Digital Service requirements, applicants without internet access will still be able to submit a paper-based application.