menuMENU    UK Free TV logo TV

 

 

Click to see updates

Free Sky box for pensioners

The Digital Switchover Help Scheme will be handing BBC money to Sky for 75+ year olds, disabilities and blind households.

The Digital Switchover Help Scheme will be handing BBC money to
published on UK Free TV

According to Sky wins TV licence cash to aid digital Switchover - Media - guardian.co.uk, BSkyB will be given first call on the money (funded from 3% of the Licence Fee over five years) to provide free equipment and installation for those qualifying for the Digital Switchover Help Scheme.

The scheme provides a free digital television upgrade for each household in a switching over region that where:

  • someone is aged 75 or over;
  • there are people with severe disabilities (defined as those people eligible for either Disability Living Allowance or Attendance Allowance or equivalent benefits);
  • one person is registered as blind or partially sighted.


The government has passed a law to allow the data held about these household to be passed to Sky.

Full details of the scheme is at: Digital Television - Publications - Digital Switchover Help Scheme

Help with Which system?
Can I use an existing sky dish with a freeview box? and if so can the two servic1
what is the difference between normal Co-axial cable and satellite grade? Can I2
i will never be able to get Sky reception (my house is surrounded by trees) an3
Do I need to get an aerial or can I connect my old sky dish straight to an aeri4
Why are many channels (such as TCM) on fSfS or Freesat but not on Freeview?5
In this section
BBC sets out plan to inform, educate and entertain during unprecedented times1
Why are there so many +1 channels on TV?2
Channel 4 would like to turn Sky "retransmission fees" into programming3
The BBC wants to stop paying Sky ten million pounds a year for EPG listing4
BBC "Delivering Quality First" changes to transmissions5
Broadcasting territorial exclusivity with a decoder card is contrary to EU law 6

Comments
Thursday, 3 February 2011
P
P Bourne
9:13 AM

Can you please tell me if a pensioner of over 80 years old would get any help with an aeril upgrade.

Thanks

link to this comment
P Bourne's 1 post GB flag
Briantist
sentiment_very_satisfiedOwner

9:14 AM

P Bourne: If one is required, the Digital Help Scheme can help at switchover. In most places no upgrade is required - see
Frequently Asked Questions | Switchover Help Scheme
.

link to this comment
Briantist's 38,915 posts GB flag
Saturday, 23 April 2011
D
doris whittaker
4:12 PM

my aunty who lives in abbey hulton she is aged 75 will she get free digital and could you give me a contact number please

link to this comment
doris whittaker's 1 post GB flag
Briantist
sentiment_very_satisfiedOwner

5:23 PM

doris whittaker: "Call us free on 0800 40 85 900. Our phone lines are open 8am-8pm Monday to Friday and 8am-6pm Saturday and Sunday" -
The Switchover Help Scheme can help you make the switch to digital TV. | Switchover Help Scheme
.

link to this comment
Briantist's 38,915 posts GB flag
Tuesday, 14 February 2012
K
K. SMITH
7:54 PM

My daughter lives in south Sheffield and is on benifit, she obtained free sat at no expense, and I was wondering I as a pensioner living in Manchester could qualify for the same.

link to this comment
K. SMITH's 2 posts GB flag
J
jb38
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

9:09 PM

K. SMITH: Possibly yes dependant on circumstances, but this is a copy of Briantists link (above) just in case for some reason or another you cannot see it.

"Call us free on 0800 40 85 900. Our phone lines are open 8am-8pm Monday to Friday and 8am-6pm Saturday and Sunday" -

The Switchover Help Scheme can help you make the switch to digital TV. | Switchover Help Scheme

link to this comment
jb38's 7,179 posts GB flag
J
jb38
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

10:41 PM

jb38: Checking the link

The Switchover Help Scheme can help you make the switch to digital TV. | Switchover Help Scheme .

link to this comment
jb38's 7,179 posts GB flag
Wednesday, 15 February 2012
K
K. SMITH
6:48 PM

can pensioners get freesat in manchester for free

link to this comment
K. SMITH's 2 posts GB flag
Thursday, 16 February 2012
M
Mike Dimmick
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

2:54 PM

K. SMITH: The short answer is no. You will have to pay full price for a box and dish installation, if required.

There is a limited amount of time that eligible people can apply for help from the help scheme - up to six months before, and one month after, the last switchover date for your region. Manchester, part of the Granada region, completed switchover in December 2009 so the scheme ended there in January 2010.

The scheme offers to convert a single TV to digital using whatever is available - either Freeview, through an aerial, or a free satellite solution: Freesat or Freesat-from-Sky. It's available to people over 75 or otherwise less able to help themselves. Pensioners under 75 have to be either disabled or in a care home to qualify.

The standard option costs £40 but you can pay more for a satellite system if Freeview was the standard option for you, or for a PVR if you want that. The price list for alternative options is set by the installer who won the contract for the area.

Equipment is free if you qualify for some income-related benefits like pension credit or income support.

Sky will of course send a free box to anyone who takes out a subscription, but you'll be tied into a minimum £20 per month for a minimum of 12 months. Most Freesat boxes are cheaper than £240. You can get a regular SD box for as little as £35, and HD recorders from £170.

link to this comment
Mike Dimmick's 2,486 posts GB flag
Wednesday, 19 September 2012
J
j.luckstone
2:07 PM
London

i am over 75 and had freeview and satelite dish i paid for but had a fire in my home and moved to new address . how can i reinstate my situation and get sattelite dish moved to new addres and cost./

link to this comment
j.luckstone's 1 post GB flag
j.luckstone's: mapJ's Freeview map terrainJ's terrain plot wavesJ's frequency data J's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Select more comments
Page 1

Your comment please
Please post a question, answer or commentUK Free TV is here to help people. If you are rude or disrespectful all of your posts will be deleted and you will be banned.







Privacy policy: UK Free Privacy policy.