Is the digital world excluding older people?

Age UK said councils must remember when digitising their services that not everyone is online

Older people are at risk of being excluded from services and support in an ever-more digital world as councils potentially fail to fulfil their equality duties, a charity has said.

Age UK said its research had found older people reporting difficulties in applying for a blue badge –  available for disabled people to help with more convenient parking – due to having to do so online.

Less than a quarter of the 61 local organisations run by the charity in England and Wales, who responded to their survey, said it was easy for people who are offline to find out about and apply for a blue badge in their area.

One in six organisations said people needed to use the internet in order to apply for a blue badge, and about two-thirds said people were also having difficulties accessing other council services offline such as housing-related services.

The charity said age and disability – both of which can be factors in digital exclusion – are protected characteristics under the Equality Act and therefore covered by the Public Service Equality Duty.

Age UK’s report stated: “Councils should be considering equality considerations in the design of policies and the delivery of services.

“So, if councils are not providing suitable non-digital alternative ways to apply for benefits it can be argued that they are not fulfilling their duties under the Act.”

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said: “The digitisation of local services is accelerating but it’s important for councils to remember that not everyone is online.

“In fact, millions of older people are not computer users at all and are at serious risk of being excluded from services and support to which they are just as entitled as everyone else, unless really good offline alternatives are made available and properly publicised to them.”

The Local Government Association, which represents most councils in England and Wales, said councils are making efforts to ensure access to people who might not be online.

What are your views? Do you feel excluded sometimes by the rapid pace of technology and digitilisation? Or how about any of your older family members?