Hey you. Do you think you could do without internet at home? While in Brazil, broadband is the first thing you need when buying or renting a house, in the UK, up to a million people may have canceled their internet subscriptions last year due to the rising cost of living! The curious data was disclosed in a survey by Citizens Advice.
The charity told the BBC that those experiencing hardship could have benefited from social rates or special low-cost packages, but the public appears not to have had access to this information.
Watchdog Ofcom, the British government authority for the broadcasting, telecommunications and postal industries, has warned that 4.3 million eligible people are losing internet access at home. The government says it is encouraging the adoption of social tariffs, working with Ofcom and the industry to bring a range of products to market to suit all usage and income profiles.
However, Ofcom found that take-up of social tariffs remained very low, although it had quadrupled since January last year. Only 5% of those eligible opted for the benefit.
Broadband internet is available in 99% of the UK and costs from £10 a month. An eligibility checker, to simplify the process for benefit seekers who sign up for social tariffs, has been introduced at Sky and Virgin Media, the main providers currently operating in the country.
In its survey of 6,000 people, Citizens Advice suggests that those who receive Universal Credit were six times more likely to stop spending on broadband in the past 12 months compared to those who do not. The institution fears that the problem could worsen with people claiming social tariffs, with four times more likely to delay broadband bills.
According to Ofcom, one in three UK households have had problems paying for their communication services and have asked companies to improve the promotion of rates. However, Dame Clare Moriarty, executive director of Citizens Advice, said the watchdog needs to “keep companies’ feet in the fire” to improve acceptance.
“People are losing access to the internet at a worrying rate. Social tariffs should be the industry’s safety net, but companies’ current approach to providing and promoting them is clearly not working. People who miss out, and are more likely to disconnect,” she explains.
Other activists agree that internet access is now a vital and essential utility for everyday life. People who cannot afford to pay for data may face problems such as managing benefits, applying for jobs or benefiting from offers online, which further aggravates their difficult financial situation.
The government claims that staff at its job center “regularly send applicants relevant information on social tariffs, and applicants can access computers to search for work at their nearest job centre”, and also points to a series of measures taken to help those who find it difficult to pay for broadband. This month, after negotiations with the government, leaders of major broadband and mobile operators agreed on a set of public commitments to support customers struggling to pay their bills.
But campaigners at the Digital Poverty Alliance echoed Citizens Advice’s concerns and said that while adoption of the social tariff is “slowly improving”, it is still far below the levels needed to ensure all households are digitally re-enrolled.
“For families in extreme poverty, even an affordable social tariff can mean that essential connectivity is still out of reach”, adds the organization.
* With information from BBC News
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