Smartphone ownership
- Can’t afford (or may not be eligible for) a mobile phone contract or to buy data.
- Phones are frequently stolen, lost, or damaged and can’t be replaced due to cost.
- Some people sell phones or other devices to support addictions or cope with urgent cost of living needs.
- Can’t afford to buy a smartphone in the first place or only have basic phones that are incompatible with the latest software updates.
Data and Wi-Fi
- Can’t afford (or may not be eligible for) a broadband contract.
- Living in accommodation without Wi-Fi or with unreliable Wi-Fi.
Other devices
- Can’t afford to buy a laptop, making it difficult to do job searches, online applications, or attend online learning.
- Certain groups need Microsoft Office applications to progress with their lives.
- Unable to afford multiple devices (e.g., tablets or laptops) for children in the family to use for school homework. Children may try to do homework on a phone or share one larger device, juggling logins and profiles inefficiently.
- No printer or scanner makes it difficult to complete forms or review complex information.
Accessing Digital Support
- Can’t afford to access existing digital support (e.g., cost of travel to the location of support may be prohibitive, can’t afford chargeable IT classes).
“I can’t get my life sorted with this phone – looking for jobs and stuff. It’s too old to load new apps or software on. I use the library but it’s not always convenient and sometimes I have to queue.”
