Only one in six people over the age of 65 are confident using the internet, with millions struggling to access vital banking, healthcare and council services online, according to Age UK.
A new report by the charity, titled Digital Done Right, estimates that while 1.6 million older people in England are fully "digitally included", 1.4 million never use the internet at all. The majority of the age group, some 7.9 million people, sit somewhere in the middle.
Age UK has called on the government to launch a sustained digital inclusion initiative and pass legislation to guarantee offline access to essential services, including face-to-face banking. It also recommended minimum standards for the design of apps so that older people find them simpler to use.
"Ministers must realise that we will never reach a position in which everyone is online," said Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK.
"Even those of us who are proficient internet users for most of our lives may reach a point when this is no longer the case, usually because of physical or mental ill-health, sometimes because of cost. There always needs to be a good non-digital alternative for accessing essential services."
Abrahams said the understandable fear of online scams keeps some older people away from the internet, while others feel "bullied" into going online and looked down upon if they lack the digital skills of younger generations.
"This is profoundly unfair and can have terrible consequences. For example, we routinely hear from older people who have given up trying to get help from their GP, jeopardising their health," she added.
Digital divide and television
Age UK's research found that demographic factors play a significant role in internet literacy. One in five older men are digitally included, compared with one in 10 older women.
People without disabilities, those in better health, and those with more comfortable finances are also more likely to be confident internet users.
The charity also warned against the upcoming transition of television broadcasting from digital terrestrial and Freeview services to the internet, stating that TV is a vital source of companionship and information for many older people. It said broadcasters should not switch until affordability and accessibility issues are resolved, and the change must include a support programme.
A government spokesman said it shares the charity's ambition to help older populations get online, pointing to its £11.9 million Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund, which recently awarded Age UK more than £365,000.
"While digital services can make life easier to manage from home, we recognise that some people will prefer non-digital options, that's why we are committed to ensuring essential public services offer well-supported offline routes, such as telephone, paper and face-to-face support," the spokesman said.
Four groups of digital use
The report categorised over-65s into four groups based on their internet usage.
The first group, comprising 1.6 million people or 15 per cent, are online daily and use multiple devices. They frequently manage finances and healthcare online, which are typically viewed as the most challenging digital tasks. Trevor, a chartered engineer and 28-year Royal Air Force veteran, falls into this group. He uses the NHS app, WhatsApp, online banking, and Excel to track his spending.
"Certain functions online make life a lot easier," he said, citing the Ask My GP app he uses to order repeat prescriptions and request appointments. "The Government should make sure that internet functions they sponsor for use of the general public are simple and all similar."
The second group of 5.2 million people, or 47 per cent, mostly use the internet at home on a single device. They handle emails, banking and shopping, but avoid more complex tasks like healthcare management. Andrew, 82, from Hertfordshire, is in this category. His stepdaughter, who works in IT, helped him get started on a personal computer.
"If I came to a car park which required me to download a parking app, I would look elsewhere," he said.
A third group of 2.7 million people, or 25 per cent, use the internet roughly once a week, often relying on a smartphone at home. Most are helped by friends or family to go online. Cynthia, 90, relies entirely on her nephew for online banking and shopping. "To have family to help me is really nice," she said, though she still books doctor's appointments face-to-face.
"Sometimes, I make phone calls and then I have to go into the hospital," Cynthia said. "In the surgery they are very good and help me to fill out forms to have an appointment with the doctor."
The final group of 1.4 million people, or 13 per cent, never go online at all, citing a lack of IT skills, fears over data sharing, or simply having no reason to use it. Elizabeth, 64, a clinically trained professional with a degree in Clinical Sciences, said she is taking a break from volunteering because it is hard to keep up with technology.
"I am finding that everything's digital," she said, noting that an online physiotherapy appointment failed to show up on her phone at the hospital. "You feel very left out and isolated. You feel inept because of some people saying 'Oh, don't you know that by now? Oh, that's easy'."
