Broadband company gives pensioners a chance to chat

A UK broadband provider has launched a service that provides pensioners with an opportunity to talk to someone over the phone if they feel lonely and want a chat.

For many pensioners in the UK loneliness has become a part of life, and those that are not lucky enough to have close family or a partner to talk to often have to keep their thoughts to themselves. However, one UK broadband company is hoping to change this by giving pensioners the opportunity to speak to someone by phone each week about anything that they wish to chat about.

The service has been launched by the broadband and communications giant Talk Talk, and enables pensioners to sign up for a weekly phone call with a member of staff from the broadband company. The calls are free, so pensioners won’t have to worry about the cost, and it provides the opportunity for a regular chat and to check that everything is okay.

An official from Talk Talk said that this was a service that was not being provided elsewhere, and could provide a valuable facility for pensioners. He said: “We are not trying to replace social services and charities but our research shows that the service we’re providing meets a need which is not currently being met.”

The scheme is called the We’ll Call You Scheme, and pensioners that sign up to the scheme will receive a free call once a week. The call will last for up to five minutes, and will give the recipient a chance to have a chat about anything from the weather to the television or ask questions and advice about services. Talk Talk said that the number of pensioners living alone had now passed the four million mark the service could prove invaluable.

Source – Daily Mail