Glad it's getting better for you! BT won't ask who - if they do just tell them someone you found in yellow pages. If you are happy with the way Windows 8 (*shudder*) then stick with it. The Microsoft updates are essential to keeping your PC safe from the constantly evolving threat landscape that exists. They find security flaws, Microsoft fix them, they find more flaws, Microsoft fix them - it's a never ending circle I'm afraid. What I wouldn't do is upgrade any device drivers unless something isn't working. These don't normally come up in the general "updates" so just do those. If you do upgrade to Windows 8.1 you generally won't

What will happen when the pension pots have been spent and they retire, ??

I would leave everything as is now. It's working and stable If BT call just tell them you've had an IT person out who has sorted the issue and ask where you can send the bill As for why they couldn't tell you how to fix it, I'll leave that to your imagination, other than to say that you would not have spoken to anyone with any real IT training in your dealings. We have to spend about an hour on the phone each time we need them to do anything remotely complex as we have to get passed up the chain until we get someone who has even half a clue.

Trading Standards may be able to help? Is this firm well known nationally or is it just a local one?