News Release

24th August 2009

West TV region gets Switched On to Switchover Help Scheme

More than 300,000 older and disabled people living across the West TV region will soon be offered help from the Switchover Help Scheme to switch over to digital television.

Today the Help Scheme launches a television and print advertising campaign to raise awareness of the help available to older and disabled people so they can continue to watch their favourite television programmes after switchover.

The Switchover Help Scheme is run by the BBC through an agreement with the Government to help eligible older and disabled people to make the switch to digital on one of their TV sets. Eligible people who have already converted one TV set without assistance can still apply to convert a second set.

Eligible people living in the West TV region served by the Mendip transmitter (Bristol, Dorset, Wiltshire, Gloucester and parts of Somerset) are due to switch over on 24 March 2010.

Those living in the Cheltenham and Gloucester area are served by The Ridge Hill transmitter and will switch in 2011.

People are eligible if they are:

• Aged 75 or over;
• If they have lived in a care home for six months or more,
• If they get (or could get) attendance or constant attendance allowance, mobility supplement or disability living allowance,
• Or if they are registered blind or partially sighted.

For a one-off payment of £40, eligible people in the West TV region will be offered:

• Easy-to-use  Freeview equipment to convert one television set,
• Delivery of that equipment or installation if they wish.
• An aerial check and upgrade if necessary, for people who own their own aerials,
• A demonstration of how it works, and
• Someone to call for help while they are getting used to it.

This service is free for people who are eligible and who also receive pension credit, income support, income based jobseekers allowance or employment and support allowance.

The standard offer in the West TV region for eligible people is for a Freeview set top box installed on one of their TVs. Most households will be able to receive more than 40 Freeview channels through an aerial; approximately 20 of the most watched Freeview channels will be available throughout the region.

The television advertising campaign which will run on ITV West from today features “Jean”, a lady of nearly 80 and 14-year-old Paralympic double gold medallist Eleanor Simmonds.

The Help Scheme will also be running local and poster advertising campaigns and staging Help Scheme events in the lead up to switchover and is working alongside Digital UK and with local charities and organisations to spread the word.

There are more than 300 000 people eligible for help in the West TV region. Eligible people served by the Mendip transmitter group will receive their first letter and information pack from the Help Scheme in the autumn. The information pack will invite people to apply for the help available. It sets out the standard offer which is available for £40 or free, as well as offering a range of other ways to go digital with the Help Scheme. These include Freesat and Sky amongst others, some of which cost extra.

To make it even easier, eligible people can choose to apply by calling the Help Scheme free on 0800 40 85 907 or they can nominate someone else to make their application for them.

Ed Jezard, Regional Networking Manager in the West region, said: “Digital switchover is coming. We will be writing to everyone who is eligible explaining exactly what help is available and what they need to do. The most important thing is not to worry – we will be in touch.”

The Switchover Help Scheme has been designed around the needs of older and disabled people. Equipment has been specially chosen for ease of use, and contact centre, delivery staff and installers have all been trained to understand and respect older and disabled people. Installers are vetted by the Criminal Records Bureau, carry identification and will never call without having made an appointment.

 Click here to download the full size image of Eleanor Simmonds

 Click here to download the full size image of "Jean"

Notes to Editors

Media Contacts:

Diane Green
PR and Communications Manager – Switchover Help Scheme
T: 0191 245 8847
M: 07951478832
E: diane.green@eaga.com

Switchover Help Scheme

The Switchover Help Scheme is run by the BBC through an agreement with the Government to help older and disabled people make the change to digital. 

In the run-up to switchover in each region, every eligible person will be offered practical help to convert one of their TV sets to digital. People are eligible if they are aged 75 years or more, or if they are registered blind or partially sighted. Also eligible are people who get (or could get) attendance or constant attendance allowance, mobility supplement, or disability living allowance and those who have lived in a care home for six months or more.

Most people will be asked to contribute £40 towards the help.  The service is free for people who are eligible and also get pension credit, income support, income-based jobseekers allowance, or employment and support allowance.

More information is available by calling 0800 40 85 907 or through visiting helpscheme.co.uk 

Digital television switchover is the process of converting the UK’s terrestrial television system to digital. Between now and 2012, analogue channels will be switched off region by region and replaced with free-to-air digital TV and radio services (Freeview). Switchover will extend Freeview coverage to the whole of the UK and free up airwaves for new services such as ultra-fast wireless broadband and mobile television. 

Digital UK

Digital UK is the independent, not-for-profit organisation established in 2005 to implement digital switchover. It is jointly owned and funded by the public-service broadcasters (BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Five, S4C and Teletext), and the digital multiplex operators.

eaga

eaga, a leading provider of residential energy efficiency and outsourcing services, has been selected by the BBC as the Help Scheme service provider to deliver the help available under the scheme from the ITV Border region onwards.