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Digital Technology: Disadvantaged

Answer

HM Government recognises that digital skills and digital access are increasingly required to participate in many aspects of society.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport works with third-sector organisations across the UK to understand the challenges facing people in digital poverty. The Digital Poverty Alliance, one of our partners, has recently published an evidence review which made an assessment of the impact of digital poverty on young people and their households. This has found that 30 per cent of young people aged 8–25 (2.1 million people) are at risk of becoming ‘digital castaways’ and that 42 per cent of young people (6 million people) do not have either home broadband or a laptop/desktop computer. Young people who are digitally excluded are less likely to be in well-paying jobs, have worse health outcomes, and have an overall lower quality of life.

We also work across Government and with the private sector to ensure that the needs of digitally excluded people are considered. For example, DCMS has negotiated a range of high-quality, low-cost social tariffs for households in receipt of Universal Credit and other means-tested benefits, including Pension Credit. These are available across 99 per cent of the UK.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

HL4925

Session

2022-23

Subjects

Disadvantaged Digital technology Young people

Link

View this Written question on www.parliament.uk