BT Essentials and Digital Voice

[VictorM96]

I'd like to set up BT Essentials for my elderly mother. She is eligible but BT is insisting she accepts Digital Voice. She is easily confused and cannot possibly manage having a mobile phone option in the case of the (regular) powercuts experienced in her area. Today, I read that BT are suspending the enforcement of Digital Voice to elderly and vulnerable people. Does this development mean I can move her to BT Essentials and save her nearly £30 per months?

[imjolly]

is your mother currently a BT customer for broadband and phone?

[VictorM96]

Yes she is. Her finances have changed since father died in August so I'd like her to make the financial saving, whilst retaining the broadband and phone service.

[Keith_Beddoe]

@VictorM96 

No new analogue PSTN connections are allowed, so any change of contract means the phone part of the order, will have to be carried over the Digital Voice.

An existing phone can be used just as before, but some form of backup power would be needed in the event of a power cut.

[imjolly]

sorry but is the BT account in your mother's name or was it your father's account?  if the latter have to had account changed to your mother.  just the person claiming benefit has to be the same name as the BT account holder

is your mother registered here as a vulnerable person

https://www.bt.com/content/dam/bt/help/including-you/BT_Free_Priority_Fault_Repair_Scheme.pdf

[VictorM96]

I notified my father's death using the bereavement line and they changed the account holder before I made the request to move to BT Essentials.

[VictorM96]

I'd read that but BT said their order system had a fault and it would be possible, when the fault had been corrected, for BT Essentials to be offered without the need to take Digital Voice. They acknowledged that it seemed unfair that she couldn't achieve a £30 per month saving at that stage. Today's announcement gave me some encouragement that I could finally make the change for her.

[imjolly]

@VictorM96 

this is the recent article and it doesn't say that the move to DV is being suspended

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2023/12/major-uk-home-phone-providers-commit-to-protect-vulner...

[VictorM96]

No she's not registered under the scheme. She isn't registered disabled, nor is she housebound by reference to the definition.

[VictorM96]

Apologies. Articles I have read this morning (Telegraph and Rural Services Network) refer to 'pause'. The Telegraph article makes reference to companies, inc. BT, being told by Ministers, not to force digital phone services on the elderly.