21 May 2007
In response to accusations that BT has been failing its more vulnerable customers by charging more for those who choose not to pay for bills via Direct Debit, BT has recommended its "social telephony scheme".
Having been criticised by a number of elderly charities in the past week, including Age Concern, whose Director General Gordon Lishman told the Observer that the additional charge for cash-paying consumers "disproportionately affects older people", BT has also said that it is currently reviewing its tariffs.
A spokesman for BT told the Observer that the telecommunication's giant is currently in the process of changing its "social telephony scheme" so that eligibility is linked to benefit payments and not to phone usage, aiming to provide more poorer customers with lower charges.
Consumers who feel they may be eligible for this discounted tariff are encouraged to call BT to check their status by ringing 150 from a BT landline, though the spokesman stressed that those who utilise a broadband service will be unable to apply.
Despite BT's offer, many organisations still feel that the elderly are being unfairly treated. Telecommunications regulator Ofcom has this week stressed that consumers who feel they could get a better service elsewhere should "vote with their feet".
"We know that certain other companies, such as the Post Office, charge less than BT for those who do not want to pay by direct debit, so there is choice out there if people want to move," a spokesperson told the Observer.
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