North-south divide on internet use amongst the elderly

There is a major north-south divide where internet usage amongst older people is concerned, Age UK has stated.

The charity says that there double the amount of online users aged over 65 in Surrey than there are in Tyne and Wear and across the country there are only four regions were more elderly use the web than those who do not.

According to David Mortimer, Age UK's head of digital inclusion, people living alone and/or on low incomes are the ones who are least likely access services using the internet.

"It is concerning that in some parts of the country, more than twice as many older people are able to access the benefits of being online than in other areas, particularly as there appears to be a north-south divide around internet use amongst older people," he said.

"We hope this data will highlight to the government, local authorities and businesses the work that needs to be done across the country to help older people to get online."

Some 72.3 per cent of elderly people in Tyne and Wear were found to have never been online. This was followed by West Yorkshire at 70.3 per cent, Cumbria at 69.8 per cent, South Yorkshire at 68.7 per cent and Humberside at 68.5 per cent.

In contrast, the rate in Surrey and Bedfordshire stood at 37 and 46.2 per cent respectively.

Last month, Age UK called upon the government to do more to teach older people internet skills as it would allow them to interact better with family and friends and feel less isolated.

Previous studies have found that people without access to the web are three times more likely to feel lonely than those which regularly log on.

Health secretary Jeremy Hunt is currently implementing moves to make the NHS paperless, but in order for this to happen, older patients would have to be taught how to use online systems.

Ministers have previously said that getting more older people online should ease some of the burden on the health service as it would allow the elderly to get information from websites rather than them having to turn up at GPs surgeries and hospitals whenever they have queries.

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