Is it becoming impossible for some older people to manage their affairs independently?

It's not just elderly people that get caught out by so much business being done online.
My son (36) recently arranged to view a house, for sale through Purple Bricks, via email.
He went at the appointed time but no agent was there. The house owner said they'd already accepted an offer so had cancelled that day's viewings via the app.
My son hadn't downloaded the app so didn't know. He assumed the agent would have contacted him via email, obviously not the case.
He'd had a wasted trip and wasn't very happy ?

I think it is a huge worry.

I have a brother who is almost 70 but who just cannot cope with computers. As one example, he hasn't changed his energy provider since they moved to their current house. He is loath to let me investigate cheaper providers for him because he is very private. I worry about how he will cope if he lives another 20 years.

Our village library runs help sessions for older people struggling with 'new technology'.

my postal vote came through today

In general, I think that if people don't want to manage things in the way that works for the majority, they should bear the cost of being out of step. I don't think that people who simply 'don't want to' get on board with technology should push up the price for the rest of us when councils, retailers or whatever have to provide alternative ways of paying bills etc.

However, I think that there should be exceptions for people who are genuinely unable to access the internet, such as the very old, the disabled etc. This is particularly important when it comes to voting - it would be unconscionable if people were unable to vote because of lack of access to technology. I know that usually it is possible to vote in person, but the fact that many people might be uneasy about going out in a pandemic means that there has to be an alternative way of voting that is accessible to everyone.

So in answer to the OP's question, I do think it is unreasonable for individuals to expect to do everything to suit themselves, but I also think that there should be some exceptions, and that this is particularly important when it comes to fundamentals such as voting.

muse All electoral matters are dealt with by local councils.

To confirm that I have just had a look at my polling card for next months elections and it is sent out by The Local Returning Officer(LRO) and includes his address, which is the local council offices . It includes information on postal voting which makes it clear that all applications have to be returned to the LRO.

So the OP, and anyone else can complain to their local council, or local newspaper or radio with confdence that they are going to the right place.

Thank you all for your helpful and sympathetic comments. petunia your father's situation is quite common. Also, people with neurological conditions, like Parkinsons, may find it impossible to use phones with touchscreens, so that rules out smartphones, and others just don't feel save carrying the key to all their financial details in their pocket or handbag.
Providers are just interested in cutting costs rather than the reality of people's circumstances.

I think many people, not just elderly, like to use cheques and many organisations find that their members pay fees by cheque too.

Life could become very difficult if people don't want a computer or perhaps don't want to do online banking.

muse

MOnica
I would immediately be on to my local council, or local newspaper/radio to point out the absurdity of not having a return address on the form.

I'm presuming the forms are sent out from one central place (Electoral Commission Office) making it impossible to give an individual return council address . There are 100s of councils.

This link I've posted does work to enable someone to find the address needed.

Simply not true. Ring your local council, receive forms and return envelope.

I'm 83 and it's not getting any easier. I really struggled this year with having to do my car and house insurance online, then dowload the paperwork etc. I can do it, but hate it.

MOnica
I would immediately be on to my local council, or local newspaper/radio to point out the absurdity of not having a return address on the form.

I'm presuming the forms are sent out from one central place (Electoral Commission Office) making it impossible to give an individual return council address . There are 100s of councils.

This link I've posted does work to enable someone to find the address needed.

Its supply and demand though in terms of companies, I wouldnt use a a business where I had to use cash for example so companies are going to respond to the demands of the public.

helgawills

I have just checked out the website, where you can ask for the return address of the application form, it asks for postcode, when I enter postcode, all it tells me is the location of the polling station, going round in circles.
Btw, my neighbour has no mental incapacity, her memory is no worse than mine, she just does not have a computer, does not want one. Nor does he see the need for a mobile phone.
I'll ring council now. Just makes me mad.

This is the site I found that gave me the address where to send ours
.
Hope the link works for you.

www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter/voting-person-post-or-proxy/voting-post

Our swimming has to be booked online now, I know that’s not easy for some.

kircubbin2000

JaneJudge

Oh I've decided to register again just in case

If you have a postal vote you won't need a poll card. It is there to tell you where your polling station is.

Thanks, I have just wasted some council employees time then

Witzend: It probably is but having me do it for her takes away her independence and she does not have much of that left. I also live 100 miles away. A neighbour has offered to get her milk for her.

simtib, assuming it’s the same service as mine, it’d be very easy for you to register her details using your own email address, and give her credit or debit card details, assuming she has one. The payments come out automatically each month.
Any emails would then come to you.

If she needed to cancel or order extra, you could do that for her the day before, assuming you’d be willing to.

I'm in total agreement.
Even my window cleaner has asked for all payments to be done online now, no problem for me but could well be for many people.
There is no consideration for those in internet poverty or who don't want to have / use a computer or smartphone.

I'm in Scotland and applied for a postal vote. The form came with a return envelope. I then received a card, telling me I was now registered to vote indefinitely by post. So I can see what you mean OP.
However, DH's postal vote was put in the same envelope as mine, but he was told he hadn't applied for a postal vote! What a performance to rectify it, despite us being pretty savvy!

Life certainly gets more complicated. My concerns go a little further. While now we can go online, search and pay for a better deal with utilities, car insurance etc. in twenty years time we may not be so confident to switch providers every year. Then we find ourselves with a hefty increase in various bills. A friend of mine recently took over her fathers financial affairs only to discover his car insurance had been automagically renewed each year and he was now paying over two thousand pounds.

My Mum is 99 still living in her own bungalow. Had milk delivered but has now been told that she now has to order it online and pay online. There is no way she could start useing the internet at her age so now can nolonger get milk delivered.

Agree and it's not just access to a computer and the internet that is assumed. So many things these days presume that everyone has a mobile phone and more, that the mobile phone is a smart phone. Many people are happy to have what Martin Lewis calls a “granny in the glove box” mobile - a simple, cheap PAYG model for emergencies.
Just before Covid, I was essentially forced to change my old PAYG mobile to a smart phone just so that I could pay for my parking when I went to work.
During the pandemic we have used “click and collect” for our groceries. It is not possible to use Morrison’s without a smartphone.
Very sad that so many organisations have seen fit to leave the digitally excluded behind.

JaneJudge

Oh I've decided to register again just in case

If you have a postal vote you won't need a poll card. It is there to tell you where your polling station is.

Our local Liberal party have done a mailshot sending the postal vote application form and thay included a SAE. They no doubt did this because COVID fears may dissuade voters from attending polling stations in the forthcoming local elections - we live in a University town where most students vote Labour. Where there's a will there's a way.

Oh I've decided to register again just in case

I don't like everything being online either and I'm not in my 90s.

I don't understand re voting. I usually have a postal vote but only my husband and sons poll cards have come through. Does this mean I'm not registered anymore?