People across Britain will be supported to get online to stop them missing out on basics like receiving emails or getting cheaper train tickets or house insurance
People across Britain will be supported to get online to stop them missing out on basics like receiving emails or getting cheaper train tickets or house insurance.
Some 1.6 million people in the UK can’t access the online world, with those aged over 75 the most disconnected. Ministers are today announcing £9.5million for local charities and councils to tackle digital inequality.
The funding is set to go towards workshops to help improve people’s tech abilities, with 7.9 million adults across the UK lacking basic digital skills, or schemes donating devices like phones and laptops to boost access. It comes after a state pension warning for millions of Brits who are between two specific ages.
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Tech minister Sir Chris Bryant said an elderly woman in his constituency who gets up at 6am in the morning to get an appointment at the GP’s surgery when it opens are the sort of people the government is targeting.
Speaking to The Mirror, he said: “Like lots of people, she’s upset that it’s difficult to get an appointment with a GP, but whilst it’s become easier for lots of other people because the appointment system has gone online, it’s not any easier for her.
“If anything, it’s more difficult for her now. So she’s cross about it. And this is an example of where the world is moving on into a more and more digital version, and we don’t want some people left on the shoreline behind.”
Sir Chris said people like his constituent – as well as young people – are being “locked out” of the digital world, whether this is booking a doctor’s appointment, applying for a job or getting insurance. He said people who shop online – be it for car or house insurance – save roughly 25% on their total annual bills.
“This sounds a bit like Madonna but we’re living in a digital world and we’ve all got to be digital,” Sir Chris said. “And the truth of the matter is, if you want a job, if you want to have a healthy social life, if you want to buy stuff online, all of that requires a set of digital skills and digital engagement and connection, which lots of people are locked out of. And we need to change that. We need to take the whole of the country with us.”
Under the Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund, launched today, local groups will be able host schemes and workshops, including teaching older people how to use emails, share files, or help them get access to the internet if they don’t have it. The proposals will also target young people, such as those from poorer backgrounds who can’t get online to do their homework.
There will also be a push on improving kids’ employability, such as lessons on CV building or using spreadsheets amid fears that while kids are tech-savvy on apps like TikTok, they aren’t learning vital skills needed for job applications.
Under the Fund, local government, charities and research organisations in England can apply for funding worth £25,000 to £500,000 to help boost digital inclusion in their area. The devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will determine their own arrangements for the distribution of funding.
The exact details of any schemes will be developed in local areas to ensure the needs of the communities are met, with any innovative methods then rolled out across the country.
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