Take a moment to imagine how difficult it would be to find a job without a phone. Searching for vacancies would be extremely complicated – the era of newspaper classifieds and postcards in the newsagents is long gone. In 2026, it’s all email alerts for vacancies, attaching CVs and video call interviews.
Without a phone in your pocket, one missed message could be the difference between a job offer and a lost opportunity. For many jobseekers, this situation isn’t hypothetical – it is an everyday reality. Take Ainoa Lopez, who struggled to find work after homelessness left her without smartphone access.
“You need to have internet [access],” she says. “You need to have money to top up your wifi in order to be able to search for a job. There is this digital barrier. If you don’t have a phone, how can they call you? How can they contact you?”
Lack of smartphone access is part of a wider digital divide. According to Ofcom, 95% of homes have internet access, but that remaining 5% still represents millions of people. Those millions are also more likely to experience other hardships such as poverty and housing insecurity. Both of which make finding work even more challenging.
“My experience with housing here has been difficult,” Lopez explains, describing how she spent many years living in a series of squats. Born in Spain, she has spent the past 25 years in London. For years, she worked in bars, and carried out traffic surveys while pursuing her passion for puppeteering. But after Covid, her luck ran out and she fell out of regular work. After zero-hour contracts became zero hours worked, she became homeless.
This is where Big Issue Recruit – Big Issue’s in-house recruitment agency – came in. After being referred by the Jobcentre, Lopez was set up with a work coach by the charity. They helped her polish her CV, practise answering interview questions, and look for work.
But crucially, the charity helped solve the problem of Lopez’s digital exclusion. In a pioneering partnership with giffgaff, Big Issue Recruit has supplied 400 jobseekers with refurbished phones to bridge the digital divide and aid their job search. Lopez was one of the lucky recipients.
Her phone made an immediate day-to-day difference – “I can search for jobs, and apply for jobs all the time from my house,” says Lopez. She is also able to take calls from employers, and respond to offers of work on the same day they are made. The tech capabilities of a smartphone mean she can also use it to store documents that help her prove her identity. Not to mention saving her countless trips to the library to get online.
“For people like Ainoa, that digital lifeline, paired with a dedicated job coach, is the difference between missing opportunities and seizing them,” says Stuart Greenway, director of Big Issue Recruit.
“Ninety percent of our candidates have no digital or tech skills. The partnership with giffgaff is essential,” he adds. “Without a phone, they can’t write CVs, make applications, respond to emails or schedule interviews. It truly does open up a world of opportunities.”
The partnership’s first year has focused on practical, confidence-building support, providing 687 refurbished smartphones to Big Issue vendors and jobseekers and delivering nearly 3,000 financial and digital inclusion coaching sessions. As a result, 88% of participants report increased confidence in using digital technology, while 81% feel better equipped to manage their finances.
Alongside these personal outcomes, the programme delivers clear economic value. In just 14 months, it has generated £453,000 in social value – a return of £3.60 for every £1 invested – demonstrating the potential for inclusion initiatives to drive sustainable impact at scale.
Beyond the numbers, it’s clear the phones are more than just tools used to find jobs: they are lifelines. As Lopez points out, as well as connecting with potential employers, she can also use hers to access government services such as universal credit, where claimants can receive penalties for not checking in, or demonstrate evidence of job applications.
Similarly, online banking is another critical tool in our increasingly “digital by default” world. With her phone, Lopez can reliably check wages have been paid, and pay her bills online – as well as keep up with friends in London and her family back in Spain, which hasn’t always been easy given her situation.
“It helps with socialising as well,” Lopez says. “People come and go in a city like London. Sometimes when you make friends with someone and they leave, or they live on the other side of the city … it’s hard to meet or stay in touch.”
After working with Big Issue Recruit, Lopez is keen to pursue a career helping other people experiencing homelessness, knowing just how transformative something as simple as a phone can be.
“I want to make a positive impact,” she says. “I enjoy working with people. It’s very satisfying. When you work with someone for a while … you see them grow, and things that are very difficult for them in the beginning, once they get used to you, they start changing and learning.”
A simple phone has proved life-changing for Lopez – and it’s just the beginning. Now, she’s not waiting for a call; she’s looking to help others make one, too.
Learn more about giffgaff’s partnership with the Big Issue at giffgaff.com
