Universal credit will hugely increase demand for digital access – so housing associations fill started doing more for tenants without the internetWhen a survey by Cheshire-based Halton Housing Trust found that 1200 of its residents had no internet access,it decided to remedy the situation. Partnering with phone company O2, the trust launched a two-year project called Open Digital to supply 400 residents with tablet computers and broadband.
Digital exclusion is a pressing issue for housing associations. The government’s phased introduction of universal credit, or in which six benefits,including jobseeker’s allowance and housing benefit, are rolled into one, and requires claimants to make their claims online. They are also expected to spend 35 hours a week looking for a job,which in practice requires internet access.
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Source: theguardian.com