In Focus Consumer Credit
Offline and shut out
As the financial world and wider society move to online servicing, what happens to people who do not have the skills or access?
Rachel Gregory External affairs analyst, Christians Against Poverty
rachelgregory@capuk.org
On average, we spend 30 hours a month browsing the web on our computers, not even to mention the amount of time spent on smartphones! For the majority of us, using the internet
has become second nature. It is convenient, keeps us connected, and everything we could ever want to know is just a few clicks away. Increasingly, however, digital access is
becoming a necessity. This presents problems for those who remain offline, and is a challenge for how we design access into essential and financial services, to ensure they are not shut out.
Internet access The Office of National Statistics reports that 89% of UK households now have internet access, with 41.8 million adults using the internet on a daily basis. This picture is impressive, but who are those that remain offline? It is easy to assume that this remaining
11% are elderly, who have little interest in using online banking or watching Netflix. Yet, this assumption does not sit well with those of us working in the advice sector. New findings from a survey of 1,210
people working with us to resolve their financial difficulty shows that one in five (22%) do not have internet access at home or on a smartphone. This is at least twice the national average, and yet only 11% of respondents were aged over 65.
Digital exclusion It needs to recognised that there are many reasons for lacking personal internet access. Deficient digital skills play a big part and is
20
The Office of National Statistics reports that 89% of UK households now have internet access, with 41.8million adults using the internet on a daily basis. This picture is impressive, but who are those that remain offline?
internet at a library or at a similar space. Insufficient computers, time restrictions, shorter opening hours, and closures are commonplace. Moreover, with little support for those lacking digital skills, using the internet at public services is not an option for most, in reality.
Increasingly digital landscape This is problematic due to the environment in which those who remain offline live. The internet has become essential for
accessing the best deals, shopping around for financial products, looking for work, and applying for benefits. Those on low incomes, and without
digital skills, have just as much need, if not more, for accessing these services. Yet, millions remain disadvantaged in their day-
certainly an issue that is not just isolated to older age groups. Also of significance is the extent that digital and financial exclusion are intertwined. While internet access has become
increasingly affordable, when two-thirds struggled to buy food before our help and 56% live below the poverty line, it is not surprising that even the cheapest internet packages would be unaffordable. Moreover, public services are failing to
plug this gap. Less than a quarter (23%) of those who lack personal access, use the
www.CCRMagazine.co.uk June 2017
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