BT tells frail 87-year-old to get doctor’s note for ‘priority’ help if digital landline needs repair

Recently widowed Patricia Skuce was left in tears after receiving an email from BT suggesting a doctor’s note might be needed if she wanted help changing her phone service.

The 87-year-old suffers from poor health, hearing problems and mobility problems, and lost her beloved husband Ralph to cancer last year.

Patricia’s daughter Pauline contacted BT after it sent her mother a letter in October saying the phone line at her home in St Albans, Hertfordshire, would be switched from analogue to digital.

The move is part of the rollout of Digital Voice across the country. Pauline explained her mother’s vulnerabilities and asked if she could get help with the transition.

Pauline said: ‘I was surprised when I received an insulting email back with details of how my mother could be registered as vulnerable by being put on a priority list that required a doctor’s note.’

Pauline added: ‘It left us both in tears. Why wouldn’t they just take my word for it? It was painful and I see no reason why she should be forced to visit the doctor and beg for vital help.”

Patricia is just one of thousands of vulnerable customers confused by the Digital Voice switch.

The Digital Voice program will run over the next few years and will transition ten million customers to fiber optic cables that use the new Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology to make calls.

A total of 29 million homes in Britain need to make the change. Telephone numbers are not affected by the digital switch.

But customers remain confused about how to get help with the transition and what they need to do to prove they are vulnerable and therefore eligible for support.

BT had sent Pauline an email from its ‘resolution team’ about how her mother could be registered as vulnerable so she could receive extra support. It contained a link to a document entitled ‘Putting you first’.

This required the BT customer to have the paperwork completed and signed by a doctor or hospital consultant.

The document explained that “once we receive the application, we will register your mother’s account as vulnerable.”

Pauline assumed that she would have to provide this requested evidence so that her mother could receive help with the digital switchover.

However, BT tells Money Mail that a form signed by a medical professional is not necessary.

To be ready for the switch, households must take various steps and make choices. For example, if you want your landline to continue working after the change, you will need to connect your old handset line to an adapter that plugs into an internet cable connection, connect your old phone to an internet hub, or buy a new digital phone.

Digital switch: Landline users will need to connect old handsets to an adapter that plugs into an internet cable connection or internet hub, or buy a new digital phone

Not everyone feels like they can do it alone, but getting help can be confusing.

BT halted the rollout a year ago after telecoms regulator Ofcom said it needed to provide better support to vulnerable customers.

This is because digital phones need to be plugged into a wall socket in order to work. In the event of a power outage, households may not be able to contact emergency services by telephone.

Vulnerable households should ensure they have an alternative, such as a mobile phone or a backup battery pack to connect to the old landline.

Pauline says the family has experienced two power outages in recent weeks, even though the landline was still working.

As part of the digital switch, all householders – vulnerable or not – must unplug their landline cable from the traditional socket and plug it into a £20 adapter or a new £200 hub that connects lines to the internet.

Alternatively, they can throw away the old analogue phone and buy a compatible new £30 digital handset.

All BT customers should get ‘free’ upgrades as part of the move. You can choose to get the adapter for free and get £7 off a digital handset. New hubs can also be supplied if you have an old one that is not compatible.

Richard Martin, 75, from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, is also concerned about how vulnerable neighbors are still in the dark about the move – and is among those who must step up to offer help.

He says: ‘The changeover is especially confusing for elderly people who are not tech savvy and have no idea what is going on.

‘I have vulnerable neighbors who depend on a landline for communication, but do not use the internet.

“I’m afraid the first thing they’ll know about Digital Voice is when the phone stops ringing. Many will feel like they have been abandoned.”

A BT spokesperson said: ‘If you have any concerns, please contact 0330 1234 150. Press option one, option one again – and finally option five. At this point you should be connected to someone who can help you.’

The telecoms giant says you don’t need a doctor’s note but must clearly explain why you are vulnerable – with those who have a health pendant, only use landlines, no mobile phone signal or have a mental or physical disability qualifying for staff. You can also request an engineer visit.

toby.walne@dailymail.co.uk