Elderly residents without internet access face severe isolation and systemic exclusion as essential services like healthcare, banking, and government utilities shift almost entirely online.
Age UK warns that 2.4 million digitally excluded older people risk severe isolation and systemic exclusion as essential services shift entirely online.
A new Age UK analysis reveals that 2.4 million older people—nearly one in five—face a severe risk of digital exclusion because they use the internet less than once a month or not at all.
The Age UK study highlights that digital exclusion disproportionately affects vulnerable groups, rising to 32% for older Black people, 30% for those living alone, 26% for older Asian people, and 22% for older women and individuals facing financial hardship.
Age UK data highlights that digital connectivity often declines with age, noting that 920,000 older people reduced their internet use this past year, while 1.6 million do not use a mobile phone and 4.3 million lack a smartphone entirely.
According to Age UK, the primary barriers keeping older people offline are a lack of digital confidence and security concerns, with 31% (4 million) citing poor IT skills and 22% (2.9 million) citing a lack of trust in the internet as their main reasons.
Age UK warns that a rigid ‘digital first’ approach—lacking both adequate offline alternatives and digital training support—threatens to leave older people unable to independently manage their own health and finances as they age.
Spurred by feedback from seniors who face daily struggles to pay for parking, apply for Blue Badges, and book GP appointments due to digital barriers, Age UK has launched a nationwide petition to protect access to vital offline services.
For 73-year-old Sue from London, severe eyesight issues make computers and smartphones impossible to use, leaving her completely excluded and frustrated by local authorities that force essential interactions online.
For 76-year-old Mike, the stress and frustration of trying to navigate online systems leaves him feeling rejected and upset as he gets trapped in confusing loops that cause deep emotional distress.
For 74-year-old Janet, digital barriers have completely cut off her healthcare access, forcing her to endure severe pain without medication following a knee replacement because she cannot navigate the online appointment system, and her restricted mobility prevents physical visits.
Caroline Abrahams CBE, Charity Director at Age UK, acknowledges that while technology is set to transform aspects of our lives for the better over the next decade—including the delivery of healthcare and how we interact with the NHS—it must not leave vulnerable seniors behind.
Age UK emphasises that mobile apps are inaccessible to many older individuals who cannot see or use them, highlighting the critical reality that not everyone owns or has access to a mobile phone.
The telecoms industry is completely switching off the traditional copper wire network—known as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN)—and replacing it with a digital system called Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). Network providers, including Openreach and BT, have set a final national deadline of 31 January 2027 to complete this transition.
The new VoIP system relies entirely on internet infrastructure and complex plug-in adapters; elderly residents with no technical or digital literacy stand virtually no chance of navigating this transition independently.
The introduction of automated AI voice systems at NHS GP surgeries creates yet another severe barrier for elderly and vulnerable patients, as simulated receptionists frequently cause confusion and misunderstandings that force people to completely give up on accessing medical care.
While it certainly feels like a robotic takeover, this rapid shift to AI receptionists and digital landlines is a deliberate cost-cutting corporate strategy that completely ignores the human needs of the most vulnerable.
