The information in this blogpost may now be out of date. See the current GOV.UK content and publishing guidance.
If you're a user of the Licensing application and you've allowed your account to be suspended, email licensing-authorities@digital.cabinet-office.gov.uk to get it reactivated.
GOV.UK uses a single sign-on application. It's called Signon and gives users access to the tools they use, like Whitehall Publisher, to publish content to GOV.UK. Every user who needs access has an account in Signon.
Today we’re making a change that will automatically suspend unused accounts after 45 days of inactivity.
Why we need to clean up Signon accounts
Since the launch of GOV.UK, and more recently during the transition of all departments, when a user needs access to a publishing tool we create a Signon account for them. As you can imagine, with hundreds of users across several departments and agencies, we have quite a large number of accounts.
Over time, people change positions within their organisation, move to other organisations or leave the Civil Service altogether and no longer need their account. We are usually told about this and can suspend that redundant account. When we're not told, that account remains active but isn’t used.
Email reminders before automatic suspension
We understand that some users will still need their account even after 45 days of inactivity. So we send out reminders to the user's email address at 14, 7, 3 and 1 days before suspension. The reminders give those users an opportunity to sign in, which will reactivate their account and stop the suspension.
If you’re regularly using your Signon account then you won’t receive any emails about suspension and have nothing to worry about.
What to do if your account has been suspended
If you try to sign in and receive the message that your account has been suspended, first contact a senior GOV.UK editor in your organisation (or your parent organisation). They can either unsuspend your account themselves, or use the support form to get help from the GOV.UK team.
Subscribe to Inside GOV.UK to keep up to date with our work
60 comments
Comment by Matt Gough posted on
Hi Lisa,
I regularly use my 'production' sign on but not my 'preview' sign on, yet I still got the suspension message for 'preview'. Is there no way to link the two so the email doesnt get sent or do they both have to remain seperate?
Matt
Comment by Lisa Scott posted on
Hello Matt
Preview and Production are 2 different environments and you have a separate account for each, hence they do need to remain separate I'm afraid.
Comment by simonfj posted on
Lisa,
I was reading this. "Preview and Production are 2 different environments and you have a separate account for each, hence they do need to remain separate I'm afraid".
I'm a little lost as to why you'd have two "Single Sign Ons". Obviously these are just the first two services that a publisher will use, and I take it you will have some more (shared) services in the pipeline. (I'd be interested, if you have a list).
Just looking at this from a(n account) management perspective, Surely these services will be federated, so you don't have to duplicate the work for each account, and then reissue more privileges as new production services come online.
Comment by Lisa Scott posted on
Hi Simon
Preview and Production are two distinct things, each with their own Signon, because Preview is used to test new code and features before they are released. They do not share any infrastructure or data, hence why users have separate Signon accounts for each. Hope that clarifies it.
Comment by simonfj posted on
Thanks Lisa,
You might be interested in this comment (which will seem a bit unrelated until you read my comment to Dyfrig). https://plus.google.com/108800828298004423563/posts/gLc2a9W1oxf
It's quite important because (I would have thought) you will be designing a group of "federated services" for publishers (a production environment) of which these are the first two services. You'll be handling a massive increase in the number of services & publishers soon. So simplifying account management, although its usually handled by network guys, is going to become very important.
Just wanted to flag this now, as it really is the basis of "user centric" for both production teams, and service users.
Comment by Sam Nobbs posted on
Hi I too am in the same posistion. I dont use preview only production.The reminder email says that if i dont sign in I wont be able to use any GOV.uk applications? Is that right ? I have signed in & reset my passphrase, but following that there was message to put in a user name & password which i could not do and could not proceed any further. I'm worried that I will lose my access to gov.uk production-will that happen?
Comment by Lisa Scott posted on
Hello Samantha. If you don't use your Preview account, we can suspend that account. Or you can let it auto-suspend by ignoring the reminders.
Your Production account won't be affected if you continue to use it regularly. They are 2 different environments and 2 different accounts.
I've checked your Preview and Production accounts and you have successfully logged into both today and yesterday. If you want a more detailed discussion could you submit a Support ticket? https://www.gov.uk/support/internal
Comment by Sam Nobbs posted on
Thank you Lisa, that all makes sense. I'll leave the preview account to be auto-suspended.
Comment by bernie caffarey posted on
I'm having a problem logging and clicked the contact us link, which won't let me contact you, until I log in - you can see the problem here I'm sure. Please contact me. I've reset my password but am still locked out. Thanks
Comment by Lisa Scott posted on
Hi Bernie
I've looked, and your account log suggests you've reset your passphrase for Production successfully. So you should be able to login no problems. For Preview, you've had several unsuccessful logins and your passphrase has expired. You won't be able to reset your passphrase unless you can remember your old one. Another option is to request a new passphrase by clicking the 'Forgot your passphrase?' link on the Signon login screen. Re: using the support form, you can get your Managing Editor to do this on your behalf. Hope this helps.
Comment by Susan Redfearn posted on
I keep getting reminders both last week and this week that unless I log onto my account it will be suspended. I have done this each time but again today have received another email informing that my account will be suspended tomorrow
Comment by Lisa Scott posted on
Hi Susan
I've checked, and you have a duplicate account under an old email address "dcsf". This is the account you're getting reminders for. I've suspended this, so you don't need to do anything.
Comment by Irene Ball posted on
Be really good if someone could help with changing my passphrase. I have been trying for over a week now without any success. When you click on contact us it takes you back and asks for your email and passphrase!! Anyone out there who could help?
Comment by Lisa Scott posted on
Hi Irene
Sorry you're having problems. For future, your managing editor should be able to contact us on your behalf.
Try this advice on creating a good passphrase:
"Use whole words or variations of whole words to create nonsensical sentences or phrases that are easy for you to remember, but hard for someone else to guess or crack."
http://blog.lastpass.com/2013/04/how-to-create-secure-master-password.html
Hope this helps.
Comment by Irene Ball posted on
Lisa
Thank you. The account has now been suspended can you direct me to someone who may be able to help with this please.
Comment by Lisa Scott posted on
Hi Irene
On this occasion I've unsuspended your account for you. In future, you should contact a GOV.UK editor in your organisation, or in BIS, who will be able to help you. This is usually a managing editor, also known as a GOV.UK Single Point of Contact.
Hope that helps.
Comment by Adrian Twiddy posted on
I have been issued with a suspension notice. However, I have mislaid my password & so I am unable to log onto my account. I have requested a new password from the 'sign on' screen - but have heard nothing in reply. This is the second time that I have requested a new password and have not received a reply.
Comment by Lisa Scott posted on
Hi Adrian
Sorry you're having problems. Do you need an account? You last logged in 2 years ago.
Comment by Adrian Twiddy posted on
Hi Lisa,
Yes, I need an account as we intend using 'gov.uk' considerably more than in the past.
Regards, Adrian
Comment by Lisa Scott posted on
Hi Adrian
I've unsuspended your account. Your passphrase has expired, and unless you can remember the old one, you won't be able to refresh it. You should select the 'Forgot your passphrase' link. You mentioned you've not been receiving your reset emails. You account log shows that none have been sent. Can you try again?
Comment by Adrian Twiddy posted on
Hi Lisa,
I have tried again and everything is okay now. Many thanks for your help.
Adrian
Comment by Steve Wearing posted on
Hi Lisa,
Could you please unsuspend my account. Thanks, Steve
Comment by Lisa Scott posted on
Hi Steve, I've done this. You'll need to log in today to stop the account from being suspended again.
Comment by Lucie George posted on
i have been on leave to come back to my account being suspended, please could this be unsuspended? thanks
Comment by Lisa Scott posted on
Hi Lucie
Your account is still active.
Your passphrase has expired though. You'll need to be able to remember your old one to choose a new one.
If you can't remember your old one, choose the 'Forgot your passphrase?' link.
Hope this helps.
Comment by David Pearson posted on
Lisa - I can't see anything in the "logged in support form" to enable me to "unsuspend" one of our users - the closest is the "create or change" option. Is this still to come (or am I just old and blind - don't answer that)?
Comment by Lisa Scott posted on
Hi David - you've got the right place 🙂
We could make this clearer, we'll look into that.
Comment by David Pearson posted on
Thanks! I was hoping it might become easier for both you and me... 🙂
Comment by Gemma Farnsworth posted on
Hi,
I've just discovered my account has been suspended too. Is it possible to unlock this?
Many Thanks
Gemma
Comment by Lisa Scott posted on
Hi Gemma
I've unsuspended you. You'll need to login today to reactivate it.
Comment by Gemma Farnsworth posted on
Thank you Lisa, I now have access. Is it possible to let me know who our departmental contact is. I am usually the person people throughout the council contact if they have a problem but yet I have restricted access. I have a feeling our contact has been left several years now and is the person who passed it on to me. Any help would be great,
Thanks
Comment by Lisa Scott posted on
Hi Gemma
Licensing users should contact David Williams with any problems.
Comment by Aimee Watkins posted on
Hi,
My account has been suspended and I cannot use the "suport form" link to reset my account because this tells me my account has been suspended and will not let me go any further.
Please can you help as I am concerned that there are pending applications waiting to be processed.
Many Thanks
Aimee
Comment by Lisa Scott posted on
Hi Aimee, you're unsuspended now. You'll have to log in before the end of the day to complete the reactivation process.
Comment by Aimee Watkins posted on
Thank you very much I can now access my account
Comment by Mimi White posted on
could you unsuspend my account please
Comment by Lisa Scott posted on
Hi Mimi
Your account is active, you are not suspended. You can sign in as normal.
Comment by Mimi White posted on
Please add a dot between my first name and surname (email address). Thanks
Comment by Mimi White posted on
All emails sent to my .gcsx.gov.uk in the last week have been rejected so I thought it had something to do with my account being suspended.
Comment by Lisa Scott posted on
Hi Mimi
The email address we have for you is already formatted like you suggest. Rather than discussing your account on this blog post, could you contact David Williams, or fill in the form here: https://www.gov.uk/contact/govuk
Comment by Mimi White posted on
Thanks, i'll do that.
Comment by Huw Joynson posted on
Hi Lisa, Please could you unsuspend me. I had reminders about the preview environment that I let lapse as I never use it but the production environment has also locked without any e-mails arriving in my inbox. Is this right?
Huw
Comment by Lisa Scott posted on
Huw, I see you're now unsuspended. You should have received emails - could you check to see? Thanks.
Comment by Diane McHugh posted on
Hi. I'm having the same problem as Aimee above. My account was suspended but it won't allow me to access the support form because of the suspension. Can you unsuspend me please?
Comment by Lisa Scott posted on
Hi Diane
There are several people at HMRC who can help you with this. Try Diane Oliver, Yvonne Clydesdale, Paul Easton, Jan Stewart, Dave Taylor or Etain Fitzpatrick.
Comment by Hong Nguyen posted on
Hi Lisa,
My organisation's senior editor has submitted a ticket to get my account unsuspended but is there any quicker way of doing this?
Thanks,
Hong
Comment by Gemma Farnsworth posted on
Hi Lisa,
Please can you unsuspend my account.
Thanks
Gemma
Comment by Lisa Scott posted on
Hi Gemma
Please can you contact David Williams with this query? Thanks.
Comment by Paul Wright posted on
Every time I try to log into Gov.UK.sign it does not recognise my passphrase (even though I know what it is and am confident that I have entered it correctly) and the only way I can sign in is to click "forgot my password" and set a new one.
Comment by Lisa Scott posted on
Hi Paul
I checked your account log and I can see that you did log in successfully (without resetting your password) twice in September and October.
If you're still having problems, could you send us a Zendesk ticket about this please?
Comment by Emily posted on
My account has been suspended due to 45 days of inactivity.
I wonder if my account could be re-set.
Comment by Sue Rowbotham posted on
Unfortunately both my accounts were suspended over Christmas.
Would it be possible for you to un-suspend them?
Much appreciated.
Comment by Giles Mason posted on
Hi,
My account is suspended and I have tried to click on the 'Support Form' link referred to in the section 'What to do if your account has been suspended' above. This promptly takes me to a screen instructing me to log on to my (suspended) account in order to access the form! Genius!
Could you please remove the suspension from my account?
Many thanks.
Comment by Keith Emmerson posted on
Hi Giles,
Sorry to hear about this.
I've unsuspended your account, so you should be able to sign in again.
Best wishes,
Keith
Comment by Giles Mason posted on
Hi Keith,
Many thanks but just tried - still saying suspended. Could you have another go and I'll attempt to log in again?
Best wishes,
Giles.
Comment by Giles Mason posted on
Hi Keith,
Could you please unsuspend my account? (See above).
Thanks,
Giles
Comment by Kate Banyard posted on
My account is suspended and I have tried to click on the 'Support Form' link referred to in the section 'What to do if your account has been suspended' above. This promptly takes me to a screen instructing me to log on to my (suspended) account in order to access the form!
Could you please remove the suspension from my account?
Many thanks.
P.S. I got all of my suspension reminders whilst on leave over the Christmas period. Perhaps it might be an idea to to create the first or an additional reminder earlier than 14 days for instances where people are on leave for a fortnight.
Comment by John Ploughman posted on
Hi Kate
You'll need to ask a managing editor in your organisation to create a service ticket for your account to be suspended.
There's more guidance here:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-publish-on-gov-uk/introduction-and-access-to-whitehall-publisher#suspending-accounts
Thanks for the feedback about the timescales for the email reminders. When you've got back in, could you create a service ticket with that feedback so that it can be given to the relevant teams?
Thanks
John
Comment by Edward Ridout posted on
Hi my account was suspended and I've asked for it to be unsuspended a few weeks ago but that came to nothing. I need access again so please could you lift the suspension?
Thanks
Ed
Comment by John Ploughman posted on
Hi Ed
You'll need to ask a managing editor in your organisation to create a service ticket for your account to be suspended.
There's more guidance here:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-publish-on-gov-uk/introduction-and-access-to-whitehall-publisher#suspending-accounts
Thanks
John