Tyne Tees Digital
Switch-Over Help Scheme and the Rural Church
Imagine that you are an elderly person living on your own
and that your television provides you with company through the day. You may
even use the news programs as a way to remind you to take your medications.
You have had the same television for a number of years and
are familiar with the controls and it would be difficult for you to get down to
town to choose a new one as there is an infrequent bus service and what’s more
you wouldn’t be able to afford it.
You see some adverts on the television warning that changes
are to be made to your television signal and this all sounds very confusing.
The talk of digital signals and special boxes starts to worry you.
However, when the new curate visits to bring you communion,
she tells you that there is a help scheme available and that if you phone 0800
40 85 900 they will arrange for an engineer to come and sort it all out for
you.
That’s exactly what you have done and a nice young man, well
he’s actually in his thirties and reminds you of your grandson, comes and fits
a special box so that you can keep your current TV. So when the switch over
come on the 12th of September for BBC 2 and the 26th of
September for all the other channels you have it all sorted.
So where does the
Rural Church fit in to this picture? Uniquely
we have people in every Parish in England who are in contact with elderly and
vulnerable people in the community who could be missing out on the help scheme
and perhaps would appreciate a gentle reminder.
So as part of our Christian witness we can be raising
awareness of the help scheme or even perhaps helping our neighbours to retune
their TV s.
For more information on the Digital Switch over see www.digitaluk.co.uk
And for more information on the help scheme see www.helpscheme.co.uk
Those eligible for
the help scheme include people who are:
Aged over 75 or
Have lived in a care home for six months or more or
Claim (or could claim)
-Disability Living Allowance
(DLA) or
Attendance or Constant Attendance
Allowance or
Mobility supplement or
Registered blind or partially sighted
Please note that there is a standard fee of £40 but the
scheme is free if you receive: pension credit, income support, income –related
employment and support allowance or income-based jobseeker’s allowance.
