About 70% of households in the UK currently have digital TV

The House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee has urged the government to offer vulnerable groups more financial and practical help.

Plans to switch to digital TV by 2012 are expected to cost the "average household" between �80 and �570.

Help the Aged welcomed the proposals outlined in the "robust" report.

The committee's report said the government needed to do more to tell the public why they had chosen to proceed with analogue switch-off and what options were available.

It added that the government's assistance programme was "too restricted" and failed to acknowledge those who are in genuine need.

Analogue switch-off will start in 2008 and be completed by 2012

It called for a comprehensive awareness campaign to let older people know that analogue switch-off would begin in 2008.

Committee chairman John Whittingdale said: "Currently there are too many people who do not qualify for government assistance, yet are in genuine need.

"If switch-off is to be a success, there must be no-one who wakes up on the day to discover that they are watching a blank screen."

The government said it would carefully consider the committee's recommendations and ensure that "no-one gets left behind".

Culture minister James Purnell said there would be "a comprehensive package of help for those who independent research tells us are most in need of it - over-75s and people with significant disabilities".

Mr Purnell said digital TV offered "more choice and better quality" and would be "affordable for the vast majority of people".

But he pointed out that a quarter of the UK population could not currently receive digital services through an aerial.

"Only by switching over fully to digital can we address this. So it's not just the right decision, it's the fair one."

The committee also called for a dedicated "digital minister" to oversee the switchover.

'Visible champion'

"The problem is for those people who aren't planning to do it, don't want to do it, can't afford to do it or don't understand the technology," BBC media correspondent Torin Douglas told Radio Five Live.

"What they say is needed is a minister who will lead from the front, who will be a 'visible champion' to show that if something is going wrong, they will take action and make sure it gets put right."

Ford Ennals, chief executive of Digital UK - the industry group co-ordinating the change to digital - said: "Digital UK is very aware of the need to explain to consumers the reasons for switchover and their options for going digital.

"We will launch our first national programme of information and support in May.

"This unprecedented �200m programme will help the public prepare for switchover."

David Sinclair, policy manager at Help the Aged, said digital switchover would be "unsettling" for many groups in society