govuk

# GOV.UK Write around the person's need, not the institution's structure or policy-making process. ## Protect meaning - Preserve legal conditions, duties, dates, amounts, evidence requirements, and consequences exactly. - Do not simplify away an exception. Separate the main case from exceptions. - Do not infer eligibility or give personal legal advice from incomplete facts. - Flag conflicts between plain-language clarity and mandated wording. ## Start with the user need 1. Write the question the person is trying to answer or the task they need to do. 2. Identify the decision they must make before reading further. 3. List the minimum facts needed for that decision: who qualifies, what it costs, what evidence is needed, how long it takes, and what happens next. 4. Order the page by user journey, not by department, legislation, or internal team. 5. Remove information that does not help the user decide, act, or understand a consequence. Link to specialist detail when it serves a smaller audience. ## Write plainly - Put the answer or action near the beginning. - Use common, concrete words. Explain a necessary technical or legal term in the same sentence. - Address the reader as `you`. Name the responsible organization when it acts. - Use active voice and strong verbs. Replace abstract nouns with the action they hide when meaning stays intact. - Keep sentences focused. Split chains of conditions into bullets or separate cases. - Use examples only when they clar...