One in three elderly drivers has admitted to struggling with the use of digital schemes with Labour urged to not risk alienating a whole generation of people.
A recent report revealed that 5.1 million Britons aged 60 and over find it much harder to keep up now compared to five years ago because the things they want to do are online.
Age UK found a growing epidemic of digital exclusion among older people with concerns now mounting over Labour’s new digital driving licence scheme.
Later this year, driving licences and other information will be accessible through a new Government app for the first time.
Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailingmotoring@gbnews.uk
The digital licences will be available on the Government app this summer
GOV.UK/GETTY
The app will include a wallet function allowing people to store information about their licence, MOT and car tax all in one place, although the move has not been welcomed by everyone.
Speaking at the launch, Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander said: “This is a game changer for the millions of people who use their driving licence as ID. The innovation puts power back in the hands of the people, making everyday interactions faster, easier, and more secure.”
Age UK has now warned that the shift to “digital first” in public and private services has created significant barriers for older people who are not comfortable with using technology.
Caroline Abrahams CBE, Charity Director at Age UK said: “Many older people have told us how stressful and annoying it is now for them to do basic things online.
“It’s therefore not surprising that our research found that some older people feel the shift towards digital by default to be actively ageist.”
She noted that “far too little effort” had been made by organisations of all kinds to look after the interests of non-computer users, with calls for services to be as user-friendly as possible.
The digital licence changes will not be made mandatory, as the Government confirmed it will continue issuing physical licences.
Abrahams told GB News: “While some people will no doubt find digital developments helpful, offline options must remain in place for those who need or prefer them.”
She warned that older people are not always asked what they think or want, leading to “disappointment and frustration” all around. To combat this, she called for a change in working culture which is required to ensure everyone concerned is looked after and can access Government information fairly.
Last week a survey found that half of drivers who responded were worried about the impact the digital driving licence would create for older drivers.
Greg Wilson, CEO and car insurance expert at Quotezone.co.uk, said: “While legitimate concerns are raised for elderly drivers, the changes aren’t mandatory, so it does allow those who consider themselves less tech-savvy to continue with a physical licence.
“For those in favour, digital licences offer a secure form of identification, using smartphone security features that most people already have in use.”
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
According to Labour the use of more digital-only schemes including the upcoming app could save the economy £45billion through reforms to public sector technology.
