One in three (31%) over 60s say life is harder than five years ago because more services are now online

Age UK’s research^[i] finds strong links between digital exclusion in later life and levels of deprivation in areas

Charity warmly welcomes the Government’s new ‘Digital Inclusion Action Plan’ as a great opportunity to do more to support older people who are offline, as well as helping those who want to go online to do so

New research by Age UK has revealed that 1 in 3 (31%) over 60s – equivalent to 5.1 million say life is much harder compared to five years ago because the things they want to do are online.

The Charity’s new research also found a strong link between digital exclusion in later life and levels of deprivation: only half (52%) of older people living in the 20% most deprived parts of England use the internet everyday, compared to four fifths (80%) of people living in the 20% least deprived areas^[ii]. 

With 1.9 million pensioners living in poverty, Age UK is concerned that digital exclusion is compounding the barriers they face in living well and deepening the inequality they experience in their daily lives.

Polling for the Charity unearthed a raft of negative feelings when older people are recommended to access services online rather than in person or over the telephone.  More than half (53%) of respondents felt frustrated, 29% felt left behind and 38% said they believe the shift to make everything online is ageist.

Age UK believes the shift to ‘digital first’ in public and private services has created significant barriers for older people who are not comfortable with using technology, leaving many struggling to access essential NHS services like GP appointments, hospital treatment and financial services.

Older people have repeatedly told the Charity that they want to stay in control of how they live their lives but difficulties with using the internet are forcing some to rely on others, undermining their independence and self-esteem.

Around 2 in 3 over 60s (64%) – equivalent to 10.5 million, say family and friends help them out at least some of the time, while 2 in 5 (41%)– equivalent to 6.7 million, would like to receive help from a service run by a local charity or community organisation. 

With more and more services offering online access only, Age UK firmly believes that the Government’s new Digital Inclusion Action Plan needs to lead to much better provision for older people who are not online and who never will be, alongside supporting all those who would like to use the internet to be able to do so confidently and successfully. The Charity is calling for:

• Older people to have a legal right to be able to access all public services offline, if they cannot use the internet successfully and confidently, or at all
• The Digital Inclusion Action Plan to catalyse a concerted national effort by Government, businesses and the VCSFE, to provide people of all ages who want to go online with the opportunities they need to do so, including programmes tailored to older people’s specific needs, targeted especially at areas of deprivation where levels of digital exclusion are likely to be high.
• A cultural shift whereby older people’s views and experiences inform the design of digital approaches for which they are a key audience right from the start and then throughout the process of development into implementation

Caroline Abrahams CBE, Charity Director at Age UK said: “Many older people have told us how stressful and annoying it is now for them to do basic things like book a GP appointment if they are not online. As digital approaches are increasingly the norm in all areas of our lives, not using computers is too often a recipe for struggling – or completely failing - to access the public services to which we are legally entitled, whether we are online or not. It’s therefore not surprising that our research found that some older people feel the shift towards digital by default to be actively ageist. They have a point: arguably far too little effort is being made by many organisations of all kinds to look after the interests of non-computer users.

“The publication of the Government’s Digital Inclusion Action Plan is a great opportunity to change this for the better. As well as generating many more opportunities for people of all ages to go online and stay online, the Plan must also lead to much more consideration for the needs of those who aren’t computer users and who never will be, many of them older people. At Age UK we think it’s time for older people to have a legal right to access public services offline if they don’t use the internet. This would provide great reassurance and comfort for millions of older people – and some younger ones too – and would strengthen social cohesion in our society.

“Sadly, though not surprisingly, our research also found strong links between the levels of deprivation and of digital exclusion among older people in local areas. In an increasingly digital world being able to use computers must not be the preserve of the affluent, so it’s important that digital inclusion programmes are targeted at poorer areas, as well as tailored to meet the needs of different groups, including older people.

"Finally, it shouldn’t be too much to expect that digital approaches for which older people are a core audience always seek their views and insights as part of the process of their development, so once implemented they are as user-friendly as possible. Remarkably, it is: older people are not always asked what they think or want, leading to disappointment and frustration all round. A change of working culture is what’s required, one that would pay dividends for everyone concerned.” 

Age UK’s Offline and overlooked petition calling to stop online being the only option has received strong support, passing more than 67,000 signatures.  Older people, their friends and families continue to share their experiences of the challenges of being offline, and how this makes them feel as a result.

To sign Age UK’s Offline and overlooked petition go to: https://tinyurl.com/OfflineandOverlooked. People who are not online can also sign (or request a petition sheet to get loved ones to sign) by writing to: Freepost, Age UK campaigns.  

Locally and nationally Age UK works to increase digital engagement for those older people who want to increase their digital skills.  To learn more about getting online and staying safe whilst using the internet, please visit www.ageuk.org.uk/digital-champions