CSPA Campaigning
Digital Exclusion
The race to digitalise society threatens to leave older
people behind.
As digital proliferation increases we call for banks and businesses to find more innovative ways for pensioners to access their services.
The case of the vanishing banks...
The race to digitalise society threatens to leave older people behind, in particular with respect to banking and financial services. ATM closures have accelerated with the increased digitalisation of banking, with 13,679 ATMs closing between 2018 and 2022.
In the South East, there are just 6.7 ATMs per 10,000 residents. Vulnerable older people, particularly those on lower incomes, are likely to be most significantly affected by any reductions in access to cash, with just over a quarter of older people not using card payments at all.
It is therefore imperative that there is access to free cash withdrawals for all.
But it's not just banks...
The transition to digital services is not limited to the banking sector, with health service providers including general practitioners’ surgeries showing an increasing reliance on digital technology.
There are considerable numbers of older who struggle to use technology – or may not have the smartphone needed to access electronic prescriptions and apps for booking GP appointments.
Similarly, some older people may find having to use a mobile phone to pay for public parking difficult and unintuitive.
There are also concerns that service providers – including local authorities – are failing to deliver on their promises of providing offline alternatives to digital-first services. Research by LocalGov has found that a third of London borough councils only accept online applications for Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction, whilst a quarter only allow online applications for Blue Badges.
What we're campaiging for
- Banks and businesses to find more innovative ways for pensioners to access safe banking, including offering workshops, adopting more easily accessible platforms and providing local banking hubs.
- Government to encourage and drive best practice within the financial services sector regarding vulnerable clients.
- In line with Age UK, we are calling for the Lending Standards Board and Financial Conduct Authority to be given greater powers to prevent banks closing branches.
- Government to provide increased support for banks, businesses and service providers to develop more accessible tools as we move into a digital world.
Later Life Ambitions
Later Life Ambitions brings together the collective voices of over a quarter of a million pensioners through the National Federation of Occupational Pensioners, the Civil Service Pensioners’ Alliance, and the National Association of Retired Police Officers Association.
We aim to encourage today’s decision makers to confront the challenges of tomorrow.
