THE number of people in Scotland unable to access essential services online has grown by more than half over two years, an advice charity has warned.

According to Citizens’ Advice Scotland, the number of clients seeking support to get online to do things such as contact council services or make claims for social security support has grown from 1,932 in 2021-22 to 3,065 in 2022-23, a leap of over 58 per cent. 

Warning the “numbers affected are higher than many people think,”Citizens Advice spokesman Kyle Scott said: “In a world that is becoming ever more digital, we are extremely concerned about the numbers of people being left behind because they lack the skills, finances or access to be able to use digital platforms.