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BT warning for anyone who still has UK landline in their home

BT warning for anyone who still has UK landline in their home

Daily Mirror5 days ago
The move, which is being spearheaded by BT's Openreach service, is a major change for UK phone lines - with 137 UK areas the latest to be affected by it
A warning has been issued to anyone with a UK landline as a huge change means it will stop working for good. Users have been warned that a major change is coming to UK phone lines, with 137 UK areas the latest places to be affected. Telephone providers are upgrading the landline network from analogue to digital.

The shake-up means that phone calls will be carried over a broadband connection instead of through copper wires. BT's Openreach service has just announced 137 new locations on its Stop Sell list, reports Birmingham Live.

James Lilley, Openreach's managed customer migrations manager, said: "The stop sell programme is a critical part of ensuring that the UK's communication infrastructure is ready to meet the demands of the future.

"Taking advantage of the progress of our Full Fibre build and encouraging people to upgrade where a majority can access our new network is the right thing to do as it makes no sense, both operationally and commercially, to keep the old copper network and our new fibre network running side-by-side.
"As copper's ability to support modern communications declines, the immediate focus is getting people onto newer, future proofed technologies."

Full list of 137 new locations on the Stop Sell list
Glarryford, Aghadowey, Pomeroy, Clogher, Fintona, Dromore/Tyrone, Drumquin, Ashby De La Zouch, Freeland, Adderbury, Broomfield, Woodham Ferrers, Framingham, Newhaven, Sacriston, Hoghton, Penrith, Dalston, New Brancepeth, Annbank, Newton Stewart, Ballingry, Lockerbie, Chudleigh, Milford Haven, Bala, Llandrindod Wells, Stourport, Fernhill Heath, Kessingland, Teversham, Silsoe, Saint Faith, Great Dunmow, Girton, Dymchurch, Shildon, Whitley Bridge, Whaley Bridge, Pencaitland, Durrington, Romsey, Plymstock, Midsomer Norton, Forden, Alsager, Haslington, Dyserth, Sandbach, Stonehouse, Hengoed, Amlwch, Pershore, Menai Bridge, Llandovery, Manningtree, Dickleburgh, Chestfield, South Milford, Dolgellau, Avebury, Lockeridge, Newton Tracey, Ogbourne St George, Sandon, Llanbedrog, Llanfrynach, Eskdalemuir, Long Bredy, Berriedale, Sanday, Llandyrnog, Dolwen, Dolgarrog, Chapelton, Pennyghael, Ulva Ferry, Buckland St Mary, Bishopswood, Hawick, Tottington, Eastwood, Purfleet, Locks Heath, Hook, Felling, Southbourne, St Austell, Stubbington, Lynemouth, Starcross, Loughborough, Easton, Wolverhampton, Ashford, Uxbridge, Woodford, Smallbrook, Wood St, Aylesbury, Ingleby Barwick, Leytonstone, Stockton, Sutton In Ashfield, Washington, Worle, Darlington, Holmfirth, Bedford, Goscote, Bishops Cleeve, Wolviston, Armthorpe, Barnwood, Desborough, Coppull, Trentham, Sale, Hexton, Appley Bridge, Manningham, Stoke City, Warsop.
The full fibre upgrade is being initiated by the consumer either switching their service provider or upgrading their broadband or phone service.
Certain broadband providers might also transition blocks of customers in specific areas to full fibre, aiding in qualifying for volume discounts and as they find that the reliability of full fibre reduces support costs once the upgrade is live.
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Marks & Spencer announces exact date it will close 100-year-old flagship store after ‘never recovering from Covid'
Marks & Spencer announces exact date it will close 100-year-old flagship store after ‘never recovering from Covid'

The Sun

time5 hours ago

  • The Sun

Marks & Spencer announces exact date it will close 100-year-old flagship store after ‘never recovering from Covid'

Another M&S store is soon to reopen after an exciting revamp END OF AN ERA Marks & Spencer announces exact date it will close 100-year-old flagship store after 'never recovering from Covid' MARKS & Spencer has confirmed its historic flagship store will close in a matter of weeks, after failing to recover from Covid. The popular supermarket has been serving Wolverhampton shoppers since 1929, however it will soon be closing its doors for good. Advertisement 2 M&S has announced the closing date of one of its flagship stores Credit: Google Maps The store is located on Dudley Street, Wolverhampton and will stop trading on September 27. M&S regional manager, Calum Telford, said: "I would like to say a massive thanks to all our customers who have shopped with us over the years and our colleagues, past and present, who have contributed to the store. "We have a proud history in Wolverhampton and are working with the city council to find a suitable alternative food location. "This is part of our wider investment into the Black Country, including modernising our Merry Hill store, and we will keep the local community updated." Advertisement Mr Telford added: "In the meantime, conversations are continuing with our store colleagues and we will offer them alternative roles at M&S wherever possible." Staff at the Dudley store have also been informed that it has been confirmed by bosses that the business hopes to find a suitable alternative city location to open a new dedicated food store. M&S first announced the store's closure last month after sharing that it had been performing "less well for a long period of time." According to bosses, this is a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, from which the shop "never fully recovered." Advertisement In a statement made at the time, Mr Telford said: ""Our UK-wide store rotation programme is all about reshaping for growth and making sure every M&S store delivers the best possible shopping experience for our customers. "That's why we have made the tough decision to propose the closure of our Dudley Street store. M&S launches first-of-its-kind store "Sadly, the store has been performing less well for a long period of time and has never fully recovered from the Covid pandemic." This comes after M&S announced in 2022 than it intended to reduce its number of traditional department store openings from 247 to 180, while also opening an additional 100 new food halls by April 2026. Advertisement Also, earlier this summer company chairman Archie Norman said the firm was looking to exit "struggling town centres" as part of a £500 million plan to update its retail store portfolio nationwide. Meanwhile, Wolverhampton Council has stressed that it has been working alongside M&S to try and find a new location for a food hall in the city. A council spokesperson said: 'It will be sad to see M&S leave the Dudley Street store at the end of September - but they remain committed to Wolverhampton and we are working with them to identify suitable locations that fit their new business model. 'We appreciate how unsettling this is for staff, and the council's Wolves at Work employment support team is connected with M&S to support workers and their families. Advertisement "We are also keen to see the privately-owned Dudley Street site brought back into use quickly. 'As everyone knows town and city centres across the country are changing and we fully understand M&S's difficult decision was driven by wider, changing market conditions and customer behaviour." In brighter news, M&S is set to launch its revamped food hall at Merry Hill shopping centre this Friday. Advertisement Wolverhampton Council have said despite the sad news about the department store closure, there are lots of regeneration projects set to create new homes and jobs to look forward to. A spokesperson added: ""The transformation of the city centre includes thousands of new city centre homes at Smithgate and Canalside; better connectivity and safer public spaces; a world-class entertainment venue at the University of Wolverhampton at The Halls; a new independent cinema at the Chubb Building; a growing commercial district at the Interchange and a new £61million City Learning Quarter which opens this autumn and will bring thousands of new visitors to our city centre every week.' Why are retailers closing stores? RETAILERS have been feeling the squeeze since the pandemic, while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to the soaring cost of living crisis. High energy costs and a move to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll, and many high street shops have struggled to keep going. However, additional costs have added further pain to an already struggling sector. The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs from April will cost the retail sector £2.3billion. At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40. The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year. It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year. 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On Universal Credit? How you can save £100s on your household bills this summer
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The Sun

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On Universal Credit? How you can save £100s on your household bills this summer

YOU can save thousands of pounds on your household bills this summer if you're on Universal Credit. The benefit is paid out monthly to people who are struggling with day-to-day living costs - but it also entitles claimants to extra help. 1 If you're wanting to save, here are the things you should know about… Cheaper broadband - save £190 a year Some broadband providers offer cheaper tariffs for people on benefits. For example, Virgin Media Essentials has a tariff for £12.50 a month - a huge £137.88 cheaper per year versus a regular Virgin package. BT Home Essentials costs £15 per month for fibre and calls. According to Uswitch, the average broadband bill in the UK is £26.39/month – and switching to the cheapest social tariff could save you £196.68 per year. You should be able to get a social tariff if you're on Universal Credit Pension Credit or equivalent benefits. Council tax reduction - save up to £2,280 If you're on Universal Credit you can apply for a reduction to your council tax bill - and you might not even have to pay at all. Every local authority sets its own rules but many help out low-income households by reducing council tax bills significantly. In Manchester, households on Universal Credit can get up to 100% off their council tax. Meanwhile Bristol offers up to 90% for most working-age households on benefits. The average Band D council tax in England for 2025-26 is now £2,280 - so if you don't have to pay council tax, that's an indicator of how much you could save. Am I entitled to Universal Credit? According to the GOV website, if you're on a low income or need help with your living costs, then you could be entitled to Universal Credit. To claim, you must live in the UK, be aged 18 or over (with some exceptions if you're 15 to 17), be under State Pension age, and have £16,000 or less in money, savings and investments. Other circumstances are if you are out of work, or unable to work, for example because of a health condition. Water bill help - save hundreds Water companies also offer social tariffs or capped rates for those on Universal Credit and similar benefits. The schemes vary by supplier and the amount you can save will also depend on your usage. But there is the potential to save hundreds of pounds this way. For example, Affinity Water caps bills at £119.50/year for eligible households. United Utilities offers up to 50% off for households with high usage or medical needs. The average water bill in England and Wales is roughly £603 per year, according to Discover Water - so again that gives you an idea of how much you could save. Energy grants - save up to £1,500 Several energy suppliers offer grants to help customers on low incomes clear energy debts or cover bills. British Gas has an Energy Trust offering grants of up to £1,500 even if you're not a British Gas customer. You can apply online at Next Energy Fund provides help with white goods and bill support. These grants don't need to be repaid but you'll usually need to show proof of income, provide meter readings and explain your situation. Household Support Fund – save up to £500 The Household Support Fund is a pot of cash that the Government has allocated to council across England. It's aimed at helping out families in need, but the payouts and eligibility vary by each council. Some offer food vouchers or help with energy bills, while others give out cash grants. Brent Council offers up to £500 for struggling families, while Doncaster pays between £100 and £300 to families on Universal Credit. Ribble Valley gives food vouchers worth £200 to £500 to households earning under £35,000. You'll need to check your local authority's website to find out what it offers and whether you could be eligible. The easiest way is to Google your council name plus "Household Support Fund". Cheaper phone bills - save hundreds You can also get social tariffs with your mobile phone provider. These 'social' or 'essential' tariffs offer the same service as regular packages but at a significantly lower price. They typically come with no long-term contracts, a guarantee of no mid-contract price hikes, and two of the three providers even include free roaming in Europe. O2's Essential Plan costs just £10 a month and gives you 10GB of data with unlimited calls and texts. Meanwhile, SMARTY's Social Tariff provides unlimited data, calls, and texts for £12 a month.

BT 'cut off grieving widow for 16 days and dementia sufferer told to buy an iPhone'
BT 'cut off grieving widow for 16 days and dementia sufferer told to buy an iPhone'

North Wales Live

timea day ago

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BT 'cut off grieving widow for 16 days and dementia sufferer told to buy an iPhone'

A grieving 70-year-old woman was without a phone line for 16 days after her husband died and a dementia sufferer was told to buy an iPhone in case of power outages, despite not knowing how to use a mobile. The "alarming" examples are among the experiences a digital skills tutor Wendy Cleaver gathered from her students in the Barmouth, Tywyn, and Harlech areas, and who had been customers of phone and broadband provider BT. In another example a retired farmer was said to be paying £355 quarter for a business line when he didn't run a business any more. They have prompted an MP to call for an independent audit of BT's processes when it comes to dealing with elderly and vulnerable customers. BT said it was "committed to supporting our vulnerable customers" but was unable to comment on the cases raised until "further details" are provided. During her community sessions, run through Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor (part of Grŵp Llandrillo Menai) Ms Cleaver helps people get to grips with new technology. She noticed some seemed to be paying higher tariffs often for services they didn't need or understand, or were having issues sorting phone or broadband packages and needed her help. "Many of my students come from the older generation, they didn't grow up with phones and computers, some were vulnerable, widowed, living alone or disabled," she said. "They didn't have the digital skills, knowledge or confidence to move between providers. Many stayed loyal to BT, a recognised name to them, some were afraid of losing their landlines. "The digital switch-over has completely confused a lot and others found it hard to understand the tech-jargon, some didn't understand the Digital Voice system". It is a technology that enables phone calls to be made over the internet instead of traditional phone lines. Ms Cleaver said: "Some were upset and worried about the amount of money they were paying for telecommunications, some seemed to be paying higher rates, whilst others were out of their depth dealing with customer support". 'Overwhelmed with jargon' In one case a pensioner who had lost her husband had contacted BT to tell them his name needed to be removed from the account and hers put on, she claimed. "She had never dealt with the finances or the technical side of things during the marriage, and the conversation with BT resulted in the account being cancelled, leaving her with no phone line for 16 days when she needed it the most, when she was grieving," Ms Cleaver explained. One gentleman had dementia, he and his wife were both over 70. They were moved to Digital Voice about two years ago. "When they said they had no alternative number in case of a power outage they were told to buy an iPhone," she said. "For two years they feared they would be cut off from the world because they didn't know how to make calls on a mobile". One woman with Parkinson's and a Medicare alarm, had been paying between £60-£70 a month for digital devices, Ms Cleaver said. She had asked for a better deal, after seeing Martin Lewis on the TV, but which had resulted in a complex situation which had taken five hours and 46 minutes of call time, with over 32 days to "unravel," Ms Cleaver added. In another case an 89-year-old disabled man with a lifeline pendant was paying on average £109 per month for just one laptop and mobile, Ms Cleaver alleged. Around 30 case studies were raised with Dwyfor Meirionnydd MP Liz Saville-Roberts. The MP said they showed an "alarming yet unsurprising" insight into the problems faced by many elderly and vulnerable BT customers living in south Meirionnydd. "The volume of evidence includes BT's failure to support vulnerable customers according to their needs, a lack of genuine empathy and understanding when dealing with complaints, the apparent mis-selling of products, and significant price discrepancies," she said. "It concerns me, there's no specific call handling process in place to deal with the needs of elderly and vulnerable customers. "From what constituents have told me, there seems to be scant acknowledgement of generational variations in confidence when compelled to switch from familiar technologies to new digital systems. "They tell me of being overwhelmed by jargon-filled selling practices with limited opportunity to clarify and double-check what's being offered to them. Many live on their own or haven't the confidence or knowledge to challenge BT call handlers. 'Out on a limb' "It seems that BT's ineptitude in complaint management is also having an adverse impact on customers' well-being, with many elderly constituents telling me their experiences have left them worrying about their finances. "It should be appreciated that many have little trust in BT as a provider but have remained loyal to the company for fear of losing their home telephone number or lack the skills to switch providers. "The digitisation of our communication networks has left a cohort of the population out on a limb, without sufficient recourse to challenge and question network providers who are seemingly indifferent to the needs of elderly and vulnerable customers. 'Committed to support' "Given the overwhelming nature of these complaints, surely this warrants an independent audit of BT's processes when it comes to dealing with elderly and vulnerable customers. "At every turn, the priorities of profit-making organisations seem to over-ride by default the needs of people who are dependent on the utilities they provide. This must be questioned, especially during the switch-over from analogue to digital telephone lines.''. A BT spokesperson said: 'We're committed to supporting our vulnerable customers and continue to work hard to keep them connected and supported. "We continue to run an extensive awareness campaign highlighting Digital Voice which is part of an industry-wide shift from analogue to digital landlines, this includes community advice sessions providing face to face engagement for customers in Wales. "Working with AbilityNet BT are supporting 7,000 older people and disabled adults to develop their digital skills, confidence and ability to stay safe online. "For our Welsh-speaking customers, we offer a Welsh language service, including dedicated helplines and billing options.' 'Without the information we need to look into these cases individually, we are unable to comment on these, however we welcome the opportunity to look into these if further details can be provided. "We always encourage our customers to inform us of any changes to their circumstances, so we can offer the right level of help and the most appropriate products and services. "Our guides will always try to identify specific needs when engaging with a customer, if a vulnerability is mentioned we'll ask the customer if they want it registered with us."

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