News Release

18th November 2009

Struggling with switchover? We’re still here to help.

There is still time for older and disabled people in the North West to get help with switching to digital TV.

In the last six months the BBC-run Switchover Help Scheme has written to more than one million older and disabled people in and around the Granada region to offer our help to switch one TV set to digital.

Most older and disabled people will have managed the first stage of switchover with no problems. But some may have found it more difficult than they expected and could still do with some extra help. They may not have realised some of the ways that the Help Scheme has been especially designed around their needs and can make switching to digital TV easier for them.

Help Scheme representatives, Martin Plenderleith and Emma Worthington, are leading a Did You Know? campaign in the region. They are asking:

• Did you know you can opt in now even if you contacted us to opt out earlier this year? 
• Did you know you can use your entitlement to convert any one set in your home even if you already have digital on one set?
• Did you know we will set it all up for you?
• Did you know all our installers are security vetted and we will not call without an appointment?
• Did you know we can help with re-tuning as part of our year’s free aftercare?
• Did you know that Help Scheme equipment is specially chosen to be easy to use?

They are available for interview.

Martin Plenderleith said: “We’re here to help any eligible older or disabled person.  We can provide everything they need to switch one TV to digital for a flat cost.  They just have to ask for our help.”

People are eligible if:

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

What’s on offer?

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

• Easy-to-use equipment to convert one television set,
• Installation of that equipment,
• An aerial check and upgrade if necessary, for people who own their own aerials,
• A demonstration of how it works, and
• A twelve month aftercare service.

The standard offer for eligible people in the Granada region is for a Freeview set-top box installed on one TV. The equipment will give people access to more than 20 channels including all of the public service channels.

Most people will be asked to pay £40 towards the standard offer of help. For eligible people who are also on pension credit, income support, income-based jobseeker's allowance or income-related employment and support allowance, it’s free.

All eligible people in the Granada region can also choose from other digital options. These include freesat and Sky amongst others, some of which cost extra.

Eligible people need to respond to get the help. To make it easier to get help by switchover we are urging people to call the Help Scheme free on 0800 40 87 654.

- Ends -

Media contacts
Sean Haran, PR & Communications Manager, Switchover Help Scheme
E: sean.haran@eaga.com
M: 07939 147719

Sarah Fairfax
Communications Executive
E: sarah.fairfax@eaga.com
M: 07730 424407

Notes to editors:

Switchover Help Scheme

The Switchover Help Scheme is run by the BBC under 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, have lived in a care home for six months or more. 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.

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. 

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.  Digital UK provides support to those who are not eligible for help from the Help Scheme through its website (digitaluk.co.uk) and helpline (08456 50 50 50).

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.