Although the number of older people who are digitally connected continues to rise, there are still around 5 million people over the age of 55 who are not online. And while factors such as income and levels of education play a part, age is still the biggest indicator of who’s digitally excluded.
If we’re to avoid leaving people behind, services like GP clinics and job listings must have other non-digital channels to access services.
The government should also support more people to get online and stay online. This includes universal access to the internet, availability of equipment in settings such as care homes, and personalised support to give confidence to people in developing digital skills.
