£600 million for digital switchover help scheme

The scheme to assist older and disabled people with the switch to digital television will cost around £600 million, Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell announced today.

The amount will be ring-fenced in the forthcoming television licence fee settlement.

The help scheme, which will provide support to install and use the equipment to convert one television set to digital, will be free to older and disabled people who receive income-related benefits.

Older and disabled people who do not receive income related benefits will pay a subsidised fee of £40, Jowell confirmed today.

Under the terms of the scheme, extra help will go to all households with one person aged 75 or over, those with a significant disability, registered blind or partially sighted.

Jowell said: "The public have told us that the BBC should be at the forefront of digital broadcasting, helping people adapt to new technologies. That's why we set it the task of building a digital Britain and ensuring no-one is left behind in the switch to digital television."

"This money will enable it to deliver this. It reflects the BBC duty to ensure its services are received by as many people in the UK as possible. And the BBC itself will benefit from switchover, which will end the costly need to broadcast both analogue and digital signals."

The announcement was made on the day the "Digital Switchover (Disclosure of Information) Bill" received its second reading in the House of Commons. The bill would allow social security and war pensions information to be disclosed to the BBC during digital switchover.

The information would be used to identify people who are eligible for support under the digital switchover help scheme, which will be funded through the television licence fee.