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People paying £300 more a year on bills if unable to use the internet

The Good Things Foundation has argued for a big push to get more people online due to the pandemic - Elise Amendola
The Good Things Foundation has argued for a big push to get more people online due to the pandemic - Elise Amendola

Older people are paying over £300 more on their bills if they cannot use the internet, a charity has warned as it called for a Government push to get more online.

The Good Things Foundation, which helps train people to use the internet, said the pandemic has heightened the digital divide as those unable to use the internet could not shop online or have video calls with friends.

However, Helen Milner, the charity’s CEO, said that Covid had presented a “real opportunity” to the Government, as more people now saw the benefits of being online and called on ministers to capitalise with schemes to help them take their first steps online.

In a report, the charity also highlighted that those not online also suffered financial as well as social disadvantages, such as having higher bills as they were not able to compare cheaper deals online.

Research showed people without the internet paid on average £368 more every year on their utilities.

Around 7 million people in the UK still do not have access to the internet and more still have to rely on public wifi as their only connection.

Ms Milner said that when lockdown was imposed in March she was struck by the numbers of people suddenly cut off from the internet.

She said: “I have worked in the digital inclusion space for a couple of decade and in March I was really shocked at the scale of the numbers of people who didn’t have a device or connectivity and were using either community centres, libraries, coffee shops, McDonalds and public wifi places to access the internet for free”.

As a result, the charity is calling for the Government to undertake a ‘Great Digital Catch-up’ drive, spending £130 million over four years.

The money would be invested in phone and video services to talk people through getting online, starter devices with preloaded software that can be delivered to people, and community centres where people can be taught the basics of navigating the internet.

Ms Milner also said coronavirus had presented ministers with an opportunity as lockdown had made more people keen to get online.

She said: “If you live in the UK today you know the internet exists and it has benefits, as actually (in lockdown) you couldn’t see your friends and family, you couldn’t get up to date information and couldn’t buy shopping online these were basic things you needed to do and do them online.

“We saw huge numbers of people who were interested in using the internet for the first time. I think there is a real opportunity.”

The Good Things Foundation also highlighted an Australian initiative where people donate unused data to help others get online, which it said could be used in Britain. The Gigabit-Giveabit scheme sees the donated data given to people unable to afford getting online sim cards, which they can use to get their whole household on the internet.

The charity argues the money is less than 2 percent of what the Government is spending in improving broadband and that every £1 invested in improving people’s online skills generates £15 for the economy in growth.

The Prime Minister last year earmarked £5 billion to improve the rollout of gigabit capable broadband to rural and remote areas of the UK.

A Government spokesman said it was working to help people “seize the benefits of technology in Britain.

“The Government supports the Future Digital Inclusion Programme which has helped over 1.4 million people improve their digital skills” added the spokesman.

“We have also recently launched the Digital Entitlement which allows adults with no or low digital skills to gain new digital qualifications free of charge.”

“And to help people stay connected during coronavirus we brokered a major deal with the mobile and broadband companies to provide essential support for vulnerable consumers.”