Free Laptop & Web Access - Home Access PC/Internet Grant
The government's made a grant of up to £528 available for low income families with children living in England; it's targeted at those without access to the internet.
Depending on your need you can get up to £528 to spend on a computer (laptop, desktop, netbook and one year’s web access). Yet you cannot go anywhere, it's only retailers that operate the scheme, though these include mainstream providers such as Comet, Phones4u and Misco.
Who is eligible?
You need children in years 3 to 9. This will normally mean ages 7 to 14.
It’s for families with lower incomes. There are a number of tests for this, generally speaking if your child qualifies for free school meals or you receive income support, income-based JSA, child tax credit plus an income lower than £16,060, it's worth checking out.
While the scheme is targeted at those who either don’t have a computer or don’t have web access, there are only limited checks done on that, though it is important people don’t abuse the system.
How many people can get it?
The scheme is due to run for the next 18 months but there is a maximum of 270,000 grants available, one per household. There are currently no plans to extend it across the rest of the UK.
How to apply?
Call 0333 200 1004