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Oldham residents trying to log into council or NHS online accounts are being turned away at the door of the internet, because their web browsers are refusing to store the tiny 'cookie' files the sites need to recognise them.
It is a deliberate security setting on many updated browsers, designed to stop advertisers tracking people, but the same shield now stops public services from knowing who is signed in.
Without that cookie, the server cannot match the person at the keyboard to an existing account, so the page simply replies, 'We can't sign you in.' No password reset, no queue on the phone, just a dead end.
The fix is buried inside the browser's help menu. Each brand hides the switch in a different corner: Chrome calls it 'Cookies and other site data', Safari lists it under 'Privacy', Firefox names it 'Enhanced Tracking Protection'.
One click to 'Allow' for the site in question is enough, yet many people give up before they find it, leaving benefits claims, school applications and GP appointment slots untouched.
At a Glance
| Blocked service message | We can't sign you in. Your browser is currently set to block cookies. |
|---|---|
| What cookies do here | Tell the site you are still the same signed-in person on the next page |
| Where the switch lives in Chrome | Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data |
| Where the switch lives in Safari | Settings > Privacy > Manage Website Data > Allow |
| Where the switch lives in Firefox | Settings > Privacy & Security > Enhanced Tracking Protection > Exceptions |
| No phone backup offered | Message points only to browser help, no council or NHS helpline number given |
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