FOUNDATION
Turn on, connect, stay safe
Foundation skills include turning on a device, using accessibility tools, connecting to secure Wi-Fi and keeping passwords safe.
Find a starting pointWHAT THE GUIDANCE SAYS
Nobody is born
knowing Wi-Fi.
Being online is a set of skills, and skills can be learned.
START HERE at any age
8 million UK adults who lack basic digital skills
- Turn it on, get connected
- Five everyday skill areas
- Free for adults who need it
- One step at a time, in good company
The Department for Education's framework breaks them into foundation skills and five areas, from sending an email to spotting a suspicious link. In England, adults with low digital skills can study them for free.
THE SHORT ANSWER
Start with the basics,
then build up.
The UK framework names the skills.
England funds courses for adults who lack them.
FIVE AREAS
Skills for everyday life
Communicating, handling information, transacting, problem solving and being safe and legal online make up the framework.
See the five areas
FREE COURSES
Fully funded in England
Since 1 August 2020, adults aged 19 and over assessed as lacking essential digital skills can study for free under the digital entitlement.
See the numbersA QUICK STARTING-POINT CHECK
Where would
you start?
Pick the description that sounds most like you, or the person you are helping, to see which kind of funded course the guidance describes. The bar shows how far up the ladder that starting point sits.
Based on GOV.UK guidance on fully funded qualifications for adults with low digital skills (England). Providers decide the right level after an initial assessment.
THE FIVE SKILL AREAS
What the framework
says adults need.
Each area is written as plain 'I can' statements, so a learner and a helper can tick them off together. Foundation skills come first.
Communicating
Set up an email account and message people using email and other apps, understanding why it matters to communicate securely.
Handling information
Use search engines well, save bookmarks, and know that not all online information is reliable.
Transacting
Set up accounts, pay for things, upload documents and fill in online forms, including for public services.
Problem solving and staying safe
Find help through tutorials and FAQs, use different secure passwords, and recognise suspicious links and pop-ups.
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
Plenty of people
are still learning.
One figure on basic skills,
one on who is most often offline.
8 million
UK adults who lack basic digital skills
Good Things Foundation's Digital Nation 2026 draws on Lloyds' Consumer Digital Index and other national data. It also finds only 1 in 3 adults are comfortably online.
BASIC SKILLS · GOOD THINGS FOUNDATION
66%
Share of offline adults aged 65 and over
Around 2.2 million UK adults are offline. Those left offline are more likely to be older or in ill health, and 2.5 times more likely to be on a low income.
OFFLINE · GOOD THINGS FOUNDATION
The essential digital skills framework, published by the Department for Education in 2019, is used by everyone in the UK involved in supporting adults to improve their digital skills.
STAYING SAFE
Safety is
a skill too.
The framework's fifth area, being safe and legal online, includes responding to account security checks, setting privacy settings and looking for the padlock and https in the address bar.
The National Cyber Security Centre's top tips point the same way: protect your email with a strong, separate password, install the latest software and app updates, and turn on 2-step verification.
Questions
Questions people ask
What are essential digital skills?
The Department for Education's framework lists foundation skills, such as turning on a device and connecting to Wi-Fi, plus five areas: communicating, handling information and content, transacting, problem solving, and being safe and legal online.
Who can get a free course?
In England, the statutory digital entitlement fully funds study for adults aged 19 and over who are assessed as not having essential digital skills and who meet the residency rules of the adult education budget.
When did the free entitlement start?
The statutory digital entitlement was introduced on 1 August 2020, according to GOV.UK guidance on fully funded qualifications for adults with low digital skills.
How do I find a course near me?
GOV.UK says the National Careers Service can advise on digital skills providers in your local area, by phone on 0800 100 900 or through its website.
What if a qualification feels like too much?
GOV.UK says non-regulated foundation level courses are funded for learners who are not ready for a formal qualification, to build confidence before an entry level course.
Where the facts come from
Updated