What is Digital Poverty and how can society tackle it

With the online world expanding by the day, we rely so much on our phones, computers and the internet to function in day-to-day life. But imagine if you had no phone, no laptop or computer, or no access to the internet?  

Known as digital poverty, this is the reality for millions of people across the UK. At PKF Infuse, we have partnered with the Digital Poverty Alliance to support them in alleviating the impact digital poverty is having on struggling communities.

So, what defines digital poverty?

Digital poverty is the inability to interact with the online world fully how an individual needs to, with older people and low-income people more likely to be victims. Three of the biggest factors contributing to digital poverty and enabling this financial divide are: 

• Financial poverty, which has been exacerbated by the current cost of living crisis 

• Lack of access geographically 

• Missing skills due to lack of education 

In the UK, approximately two million households struggle to afford their internet bills. The affordability of not only the internet connection, but the devices and equipment which we use to connect, is a key contributor to the recent rise in digital poverty. 

Poor connectivity affects those who are both geographically and economically disadvantaged. 

Those in rural areas are not always as well connected as cities, yet those who struggle with financial poverty in metropolitan areas are also likely to struggle with being offline. 

What is digital exclusion?

 A knock-on effect of digital poverty, digital exclusion refers those individuals and communities that are left behind in the digital revolution not only due to lack of digital tools, but also due to the lack of access or skills required. 

Some key aspects of digital exclusion include: 

• Lack of digital literacy, such as basic operational skills, understanding how to navigate online environments and critically assess information found online. 

• Socio-cultural factors including age, education and language barriers. For example, older adults might feel less comfortable using technologies. 

• Individuals with disabilities may be excluded if digital technologies are not designed with accessibility in mind. 

Whilst the UK is one of the world’s leading digital economies, there are still disparities in access to digital services and high-speed internet across the country, with a significant portion of the population lacking basic digital skills. 

Digital exclusion doesn’t just mean people cannot access social media or emails, it spans across so many day-to-day such as booking doctors’ appointments, requesting medication, accessing bank accounts and mortgages and getting in touch with mental health support services. 

How does the Digital Poverty Alliance support?

The Digital Poverty Alliance is an independent charity that is working towards ending digital poverty by 2030. They currently rely on financial donations and old devices to donate to those in need.  

In 2024, two million individual customer donations were received for their Tech4Families scheme which helps parents and children get online. 

At PKF Infuse, we are currently running an initiative with the Digital Poverty Alliance in which we continue the lifecycle of second-hand tech and provide those in digital poverty with access to the internet. 

This involves us donating old wiped and cleaned laptops and tech equipment to the Digital Poverty Alliance for them to facilitate internet access to those who need it most. In turn we hope to digitally enable people to live and work, grow and flourish and embrace the opportunities available digitally. 

If you want to find out more how PKF Infuse can also enable your company too, from providing equipment to servers and Microsoft licenses – get in contact with us.