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Good practice Imported

Plan Ibirapitá – Free Tablets and Digital Literacy for Low-Income Pensioners

Uruguay · Montevideo · See the Uruguay profile · See the Montevideo profile

Evidence: Observational / pre–post Top 24% 92/100 · Ask Evidence Copilot about this practice

Since 2015, Uruguay's Plan Ibirapitá has given free senior-friendly tablets and digital-skills workshops to low-income pensioners nationwide. By 2019 nearly 193,000 tablets had been distributed, though independent surveys found regular use lower than hoped, with two-thirds of use

~193,000 tablets
Tablets distributed (by February 2019)
70 %
Recipients reporting having used the device
70 %
Used device to read news / listen to radio
60 %
Used device's camera
40 %
Accessed YouTube
36 %
Accessed Facebook
57 %
Had not used tablet in week before survey
61 %
Reported it was their first computer
66 %
Relied on help from family members

Details

Maturity
Established
Promoter
Plan Ibirapitá (Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Ministry of Social Development, BPS – Uruguay)
Period
2015–present
Keywords
digital inclusion, older adults, tablets, social protection

Context

Launched on 6 January 2015 by Uruguay's Ministry of Labour and Social Security, the Ministry of Social Development, and the national social-security institute BPS, Plan Ibirapitá distributes free tablets with a simplified interface to pensioners whose income falls below a set threshold, complemented by in-person usage workshops.

Objectives

The programme aims to close the digital divide for low-income older adults by pairing device distribution with hands-on digital-skills support.

Results

By February 2019, official programme data indicated that nearly 193,000 tablets had been granted nationwide; 70% of recipients reported having used the device, mainly to read news or listen to the radio (70%), use the camera (60%), access YouTube (40%) and Facebook (36%). However, 57% of recipients reported not having used the tablet in the week before being surveyed, 61% said it was their first computer, and 66% relied on help from family members — highlighting the limits of hardware distribution alone without sustained digital support. An independent academic study (Human Technology, 2022) examined this ambivalence in long-term adoption among Uruguayan seniors.

Conclusions

More than a decade after launch, the programme remains active, jointly run by the ministries involved and BPS, with periodic use-surveys informing adjustments to workshops and content.

Implementation

Implementation detail (cost, timeline, staffing, conditions for success) is not yet available for this practice.

Commonly funded by

National / regional programmes

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Data sources

Where this practice's information was retrieved from, and when.

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