News Release

5th May 2010

Experts from the BBC-run Switchover Help Scheme are inviting members of the public to drop-in to advice points in the South West Highlands and Islands to find out more about the help that is available for older and disabled people to convert to digital TV.

The advice points will be available on Mull, Tiree and Coll on specific days between Wednesday 12th May and Tuesday 24th May. Experts from the Switchover Help Scheme will be on hand to remind older and disabled people who find themselves struggling with switchover that practical help is available.

The full schedule, including the four dates and locations of when the Switchover Help Scheme advice points will be on the islands, is as follows:

Luke McCullough, National Manager for the Switchover Help Scheme in Scotland, said: “The Help Scheme writes directly to everyone who is eligible to offer them help. We are urging everyone who we have no yet helped bit who has received an information pack to drop in and speak to our team face-to-face to find out more about the help available. There’ll also be an opportunity to receive help filling out a Switchover Help Scheme application form and ask questions.”

Eligible people who can’t make the dates above can find out more about the help on offer by calling the Help Scheme free on 0800 408 7654.

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 will be offered:
• Easy-to-use equipment to convert one television set,
• Installation of that equipment if requested (a delivery only option is available),
• An aerial check and upgrade if necessary and where possible
• A demonstration of how it works, and
• A twelve month aftercare service

The standard offer for eligible people in the STV Central TV region is for a Freeview set-top box installed on one TV. Most households will be able to receive more than 40 Freeview channels via an aerial; around 15 of the most watched Freeview channels will be available throughout the region, 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, the help is free.

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

As well as the Help Scheme events, eligible people are being asked to respond to their Information Packs as soon as possible. Or to make it even easier, eligible people can choose to apply by calling the Help Scheme free on 0800 408 7654 or instead they can nominate someone else to make their application for them.

-ENDS-

Notes to Editor

Media Contacts:

Sarah Fairfax
Communications Executive – Switchover Help Scheme
T: 0191 245 8847
M: 07730424407
E: sarah.fairfax@eaga.com

Switchover Help Scheme – People aged 75 and over, eligible for certain disability benefits, registered blind or partially sighted or living in care homes are entitled to practical help from the BBC-run Switchover Help Scheme. For £40, they will be given equipment to switch one TV per household to digital. They will be able to have that equipment installed if they want it, a demonstration of how it works and a number to call while they get used to things. If they’re eligible and also on income-related benefits, the help will be free. Everyone eligible will be contacted directly before switchover. More information is available on 0800 408 7654.

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, the 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.