News Release

28th September 2009

Switchover Help Advice For St Helens Residents

Shoppers visiting St Helens Town Centre this Wednesday 30 September are being given the chance to get free advice about the help that is available to switch to digital TV.

Experts from the BBC-run Switchover Help Scheme and St Helens Council are inviting members of the public to drop-in to St Helens Parish Church Hall, Church Square, St Helens, between 9am and 4pm to find out more about the help that is available for older and disabled people to convert to digital TV with the Help Scheme.

As digital switchover in the ITV Granada region approaches, the Help Scheme team are working closely with St Helens Council to make sure everyone in the community gets the help they need for switchover on the 4 November.

The Council is backing the Switchover Help Scheme ‘helping hand’ campaign and are appealing to everyone in the area to remind eligible friends, neighbours and relatives who are entitled to help from the Help Scheme by telling them how to access this practical support.

Leader of the Council, Cllr Brian Spencer, said:” We are delighted to be working with the Help Scheme to make sure that older and disabled people are prepared for the digital switchover, which is now close at hand.

“Even if you’re not eligible for help yourself, we would urge you to pop along for a few minutes to pick up some information. The chances are everyone knows someone in their family, or street that might need a helping hand to switch to digital TV. You could be the one person they know or they trust to give them good advice so they’re not left with a blank screen at switchover.”

People are eligible for help from the Switchover Help Scheme if they are:

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

In the run-up to switchover in each region, every eligible person receives a Switchover Help Scheme letter and information pack explaining the options for switching to digital. 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 and employment and support allowance.

More than one million people in the Granada ITV region have been posted a Help Scheme information pack and are being sent a reminder letter. They need to respond to get the help by returning completed information pack forms to the Switchover Help Scheme.

In addition, any eligible person who needs help to apply can nominate someone else to complete their form for them.
 
If you would like to find out more about the Help Scheme and who is eligible to apply, please visit helpscheme.co.uk.

-ENDS-

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

Sarah Fairfax
Communications Executive – Switchover Help Scheme
T: 0191 245 8834
M: 07730424407
E: sarah.fairfax@eaga.com

Images available on request

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.

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 or income-based jobseekers allowance or employment and support allowance.

More information is available by 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. 

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.