The Government says its messaging service is set to save taxpayers an average of £35m a year over the next five years.

The GOV.UK Notify system allows public sector bodies and local authorities to send people messages, ranging from council tax reminders to details of doctors appointments.

Whitehall estimates that it is set to produce savings of £175m over the next half a decade because it reduces the need for people to phone call centres or chase up information.

‘Notify is a great example of how the government is using technology to make people’s lives easier and save money,’ said the minister for the cabinet office, Oliver Dowden.

‘This allows us to invest more in the public’s priorities, with the savings from this initiative alone equivalent to the cost of building 8 new secondary schools.’