BT claim that the basic service has replaced the light user scheme, and to be fair, the line rental on Basic is very good at £13.50 per quarter if you rarely make calls.
The old light user scheme allowed anyone to join up, but the new basic scheme only allows you to join up if you are on certain benefits! How is this progress exactly?
Why do BT claim that are 'simplifying' things by doing this? From what I can make out they don't want people on this scheme and are just putting obstacles in the way for those who aren't on benefits but who make few calls.

BT is complying with government requirements to provide such a service for those on benefits,

No other line provider has to do so (and, surprise, surprise, none does).

Why not allow anyone who is a light user join it?
Those who were on the light user scheme, or who wish to join it, now have no option unless they are on certain benefits

I will agree with that, I was on the light user scheme, I was paying £5.00 per month when I had a job and when I became unemployed I was still paying £5.00 per month, now I receive no social security benefit and am living on savings, and my monthly payment has increased to £26.00 per month.
Where does BT think this is a reasonable increase in telephone cost.

I don't know if the rule still applies, but last time I checked you couldn't be on the Light User Scheme if you had a broadband connection over the phone line from any ISP.

John

They are simplifying the eligibility criteria.

Before the eligibility to join was based on the CSA asking the right questions and the customer giving truthful answers.


The Light User Scheme was terribly abused by people who used their mobiles to make calls when one of the t&c's was that you weren't allowed to have a mobile to qualify.

Just because someone made few calls through their landline it doesn't mean they were a light user.


You can have broadband on BT Basic.

As already stated, BT are the only Telco that have to provide a 'social telephony' package, so why wouldnt they restrict it to those who qualify, if it was open to those who just wanted to pay the least line rental possible, then BT would have to increase the line rental of the rest of their customers to pay for them, then those customers would probably move to some other ( cheaper) provider that didnt have to subsidise 'loss making' customers, eventually BT would have no customers, and be out of business.

You seem to miss my point, which is that people who are genuinely low users, but who aren't on certain benefits are now barred from joining whereas before they weren't.

I think the point you're missing is that BT never wanted you on the light user scheme just because you're a light user!

They are offering that service as they have to - if they didn't have to offer it, I'd assume they wouldn't! Therefore they will of course try to ensure that ONLY people who are eligable for this scheme are able to get on this scheme.

BT are not a charity and will not concern themselves with the 'lightness' of your need.

I am merely observing that BT have 'replaced' one scheme with another that prevents a certain group of people from joining, whereas before they would have been allowed.
That's all.

And conversely, a certain group of people, those with mobiles, are now eligible whereas previously they were ineligible.

Do you really think BT checked (somehow or other) that you didn't own a mobile before they allowed people to join?
They didn't.
But now you have to supply your NI number so that they can check with the DWP regarding your status

No, they took peoples word for it and as I said earlier, many people abused the Light User Scheme and were on it when they never met the eligibility criteria.

Why should a commercial company offer a subsidised service to anybody because they are a 'light user'? Are there any other examples of companies out there who had to offer a service like this?

I presume that since you seem to feel so strongly about this matter that you've asked your provider, the PO, to offer a Light User Scheme so that those who don't qualify for BT Basic can swap across?

I thought line rental was £11.54 per month, not £26.

Yes, there example of reduced prices for light users. Plusnet (and the PO actually) have different tiers of service (download limits) depending on usage.
Someone on light user/basic is less of a drain on network resources than a heavy user


No, I haven't.
I don't want (and am not eligible for) this scheme, I'm merely making an observation.

Telephone wise, I was referring to the PSTN aspect of things as that is what you were referring to. Of course, there was no limit on the amount of calls you could make on the Light User Scheme, just that ultimately you'd receive no discount.

What about non telephone wise?


BT bashing then!

Yes that is what I agreed when I was coerced into paperless billing, but my now online statement says that I am to pay £26.00 per month and there "is nothing you can do about it" which is what I was informed when I had a voice conversation with call centre operator.
If anyone remembers when around 2005 we were blitzed with adverts to change to free caller display and answerphone services I feel that BT were planning to "catch" many subscribers out with this.

Catch people out in the sense that people ignored what call centre staff staff said when they advised customers they needed to make a minimum number of calls in order for the services to be free?

Sound like you need to change to Monthly Whole Bill Direct Debit instead of the Monthly Payment Plan.