Bradshaw apologises for switchover blunder

Culture secretary Ben Bradshaw has apologised for letters wrongly sent to people informing them that they were eligible for assistance during the switchover.

Run by the BBC, the Digital Switchover Help Scheme has been set up to assist the old and vulnerable to navigate the change to digital TV.

Nearly all the 65,000 incorrect letters were sent to in ineligible people in the Llandudno postcode area, with a few others going to households in Liverpool, Newport, Chester and Lancaster.

A further batch of letters was also sent to people wrongly telling them that they had to pay £40 before they could access the Help Scheme.

In response, Bradshaw has said that these errors were due to "incorrect or incomplete information" provided to his team by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

"The DWP apologises for these mistakes and has informed the Information Commissioners Office," he explained.

"DCMS (Department for Culture, Media and Sport), DWP and the Help Scheme are working closely to ensure that these errors do not occur again."

Bradshaw has revealed that another letter will now be sent to the ineligible people to apologise for the inconvenience.

Meanwhile, Consumer Focus Wales has warned about people being potentially ripped off by TV retailers and aerial installers during the switchover.