Millions of older people are at risk of being left behind as the country moves to an increasingly digital future, campaigners warn. New research by Age UK shows 1.4 million over-65s in England are digitally excluded and do not use the internet at all.
Around half said this is because their IT skills are not good enough, while one in three are concerned about fraud and sharing their data. Some 2.7 million are partially digitally excluded and go online at least once a week, while 5.2 million are partially digitally included and do some activities online such as banking and shopping. Just 1.6 million are fully digitally included and regularly use technology without help.
Charity calls for digital inclusion drive
Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said the research "shatters the illusion that the vast majority of older people have the confidence and skills to live happily in a digital world".
She said: "Many older people feel ‘bullied’ to go online and looked down on if they haven’t got the same online skills as someone fifty years younger, who grew up with digital tech, whereas they grew up with pen and paper."
"This is profoundly unfair and can have terrible consequences: for example, we routinely hear from older people who have given up trying to get help from their GP, jeopardising their health."
Government urged to protect offline services
The charity is calling on the Government to launch a major digital inclusion drive, while protecting offline access to essential services.
Ms Abrahams said: "As we head towards becoming an increasingly digital society, we must ensure that no one is left behind and that requires the Government to take a dual approach: firstly, they should lead an ambitious and sustained digital inclusion programme, in partnership with the private and voluntary sectors; and secondly, they should protect offline access to essential services like banking and the NHS, so no one is shut out and disadvantaged as a result."
She said the country has "muddled through" when it comes to digital inclusion with "dribs and drabs of short-term funding and the goodwill of community groups and volunteers".
Ms Abrahams added: "This cannot go on: millions of people of all ages, not only older ones, need support to either go online for the first time, or to develop their online skills so they can navigate the internet confidently and safely.
"At the same time, ministers must realise that we will never reach a position in which everyone is online.
"Even those of us who are proficient internet users for most of our lives may reach a point when this is no longer the case, usually because of physical or mental ill-health, sometimes because of cost.
"For all our sakes, and for the sake of the 4.1 million older people today who are either partially digitally excluded or not online at all, there always needs to be a good non-digital alternative for accessing essential services. Legislation and national standards should be put in place to guarantee this."
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has been contacted for comment.
