THE number of people in Scotland unable to access essential services online has grown by more than half over two years, an advice charity has warned.

According to Citizens’ Advice Scotland, the number of clients seeking support to get online to do things such as contact council services or make claims for social security support has grown from 1,932 in 2021-22 to 3,065 in 2022-23, a leap of over 58 per cent. 

Warning the “numbers affected are higher than many people think,”Citizens Advice spokesman Kyle Scott said: “In a world that is becoming ever more digital, we are extremely concerned about the numbers of people being left behind because they lack the skills, finances or access to be able to use digital platforms.

“The consequences of being digitally excluded vary from being unable to apply for jobs or benefits or unable to access consumer services like price comparison or anti-scam websites.

“It also excludes you from staying connected and in touch with loved ones, so it can have a big impact on people’s mental health and loneliness.”

Mr Scott said that those affected include older or disabled people and those on low incomes, many of whom face complex and vulnerable circumstances.

“We have long urged governments and other agencies to make sure that essential services are available by phone and in person as well as online,” he said.

“We’d also like to see greater provision of free training in digital skills.”

A Scottish government spokesperson said: “We do not want anyone to be left behind in the digital age and are striving to make Scotland a fully digitally inclusive nation in which our digital and data infrastructure is available to everyone.”