25 July 2006
A consumer watchdog has warned that vulnerable Britons, including the elderly and the disabled, could be left behind in the digital switchover if more is not done to help them make the change.
Consumer Expert Group, an organisation that represents vulnerable members of society, said that the government should not just offer means-tested assistance, but should extend the offer of help to these UK citizens who otherwise would not be able to make the switchover before it is permanently completed in 2012.
According to David Sinclair, senior policy manager of Help the Aged and vice-chair of the group, many people who are entitled to help from the government do not apply for it and therefore "the logic of the decision is completely wrong".
More needs to be done to ensure that all UK citizens are able to make the switchover successfully.
"Digital television is one of the most exciting developments in technology for many years, but it is bewildering to many," said Leen Petre of the Royal National Institute for the Blind and chairman of the Consumer Expert group.
"Some of the most vulnerable people in the country could well find themselves unable to access the many benefits of this technology because the government seems set on only giving additional help to those people who are in receipt of means-tested benefits."
One of the suggestions made by the group is that the government should provide protection for these vulnerable citizens against con artists who might claim to help them install digital TV in their homes.
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