Written by Elizabeth Anderson, CEO of Digital Poverty Alliance
As children across the UK returned to classrooms in the past few weeks, many would be packing their bags and charging their laptops, ready for their first homework of the year. However, there are millions of students who have started the school year already at a disadvantage. For children from low-income families, digital poverty is not an abstract statistic - it is a daily reality that limits their education, hampers learning, and threatens to widen inequality and across the country.
New research from RM Technology and the Digital Poverty Alliance highlights that more than half (57 per cent) of low-income households lack reliable access to devices or the internet at home. The consequences of this are far reaching, as children struggle to complete homework, access learning resources, and keep pace with peers. Teachers warn the gap is widening, and without urgent action, digital poverty will continue to hold back the country’s most vulnerable students.
Smartphones aren’t study tools
One of the most alarming findings form the RM report is that one in eight pupils rely on smartphones to complete schoolwork. While smartphones keep children connected socially, they are ineffective for full educational engagement. Typing essays, navigating learning platforms, conducting research, or using educational software is often impossible on a small screen. Relying on smartphones is not just inconvenient, it undermines the quality of learning.
The research also shows that 15 per cent of children must share a single device among family members, and 11 per cent of households have little or no internet access. For these students, remote learning, research projects, and even submitting homework online can be nearly impossible. When multiple children in the same household have schoolwork to complete, these challenges intensify, leaving them without access to the digital tools that many of their peers take for granted.
Disconnected and disadvantaged
Parents face difficult choices to bridge the digital gap. Some rely on public Wi-Fi or neighbours’ networks, others turn to friends or grandparents for devices they cannot afford. In some households, parents must decide which child gets priority access to a single device. This constant compromise adds stress and creates an environment where children cannot engage fully with learning, widening existing inequalities.
Teachers witness these effects first-hand. 75 per cent report that pupils fall behind or disengage due to poor home access, and a third (31 per cent) note that children lack basic digital skills. However, only 17 per cent of teachers are aware of Government policies addressing digital access, and over a third (35 per cent) say their school has no plan to support pupils with limited technology outside the classroom. The result is a generation of learners at risk of being left behind, not because of ability, but because of circumstance.
The long shadow of digital poverty
The need of devices does not end at school. Research from the Digital Poverty Alliance shows that access to a personal laptop is considered essential for success in higher education, with 98 per cent of students and families affirming its importance. However, only one in ten universities offers extended laptop loan schemes, leaving many students without reliable access to the devices necessary for their studies.
The lack of access has tangible effects on confidence and aspirations. Two-thirds of respondents reported that not having a personal laptop or reliable internet influenced their or their child’s decision to apply to university. For some, relying on shared devices or public computers introduced uncertainty, stress, and a feeling of being left out. Without intervention, digital poverty risks limiting not only academic achievement but long-term social mobility.
On top of this, the use of generative AI tools has raised rapidly, now being used by 88 per cent of students compared to 53 per cent the previous year. This underscores how uneven access to technology and digital skills can widen inequalities further. Students from more privileged backgrounds are far more likely to leverage these tools for productivity, while disadvantaged students often face barriers to effective use. As AI becomes embedded in education, those without devices or digital literacy fall further behind.
End Digital Poverty Day: a moment to act
End Digital Poverty Day highlights the millions in the UK without access to devices, connectivity, or digital skills. Led by the Digital Poverty Alliance, it calls on government, schools, and businesses to collaborate to close the digital divide and guarantee equal opportunities for all. This day is not just about awareness, it is a reminder that urgent, coordinated action can make a tangible difference in children’s lives.
Digital poverty is not inevitable. With targeted interventions and collaboration, every child can have the tools they need to succeed, not just in school but at university and beyond. Time is critical. Each school year lost with children unable to access key learning is a year of potential unrealised, confidence undermined, and skills unacquired. The cost is not only personal but societal: children left behind now risk becoming adults with fewer opportunities, perpetuating cycles of inequality that affect the economy, workforce, and community well-being.
As the new school year begins, let this be the moment when policymakers, educators, and businesses unite to bridge the digital divide. Children deserve more than resilience - they deserve opportunity. And that begins with access.
