Could you be one of the four million households missing out on help with broadband via your provider’s social tariff?
If you are on a low income and struggling to keep up with rising broadband prices, then you may qualify for help via your provider’s social tariff.
It’s still a little-known source of support: only 220,000 out of the 4.3 million eligible households are signed up to a broadband social tariff as of February 2023, according to the regulator Ofcom.
It means 95% of people eligible are not claiming this support. More than half of benefit claimants are unaware the low-cost deals exist.
Social tariffs are available to households receiving financial support, such as Universal Credit or Jobseeker’s Allowance, who can’t afford the typical cost of a broadband connection.
They can work out significantly cheaper than regular broadband tariffs, with consumer champion Which? estimating social tariffs can save eligible households an average of £250 a year.
You can apply for most tariffs online, or you can call your provider and ask to switch.
If your provider doesn’t offer a social tariff, you can usually switch to one that does – though you may have to pay an early exit fee.
So how do these social broadband tariffs work, and what will they cost you?
Best social broadband tariffs right now
Here’s what’s on offer in the market right now, so you can take advantage of the best social broadband deals.
| PROVIDER | PACKAGE | PRICE PER MONTH | TERM | AVERAGE SPEED | CRITERIA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SMARTY (Three) | SMARTY Social Tariff | £12 | 1 month rolling plan | 30Mbps | You must claim either Universal Credit, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance or Pension Credit. |
| Vodafone | Vodafone Essentials Broadband | £12 (£22 once contract ends) | 12 months + no exit fee | 38Mbps | You must claim either Universal Credit, Jobseekers Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance, Disability Allowance or Personal Independence Payment. |
| Vodafone | Vodafone Fibre 2 Essentials | £20 | 12 months + no exit fee | 73Mbps | You must claim either Universal Credit, Jobseekers Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance, Disability Allowance or Personal Independence Payment. |
| 4th Utility | 4th Utility Social Tariff | £13.99 | 30-day rolling contract | 30Mbps | Must provide proof of receiving benefits |
| KCOM | KCOM Full Fibre Flex | £14.99 | 30-day rolling contract | 30Mbps | Only available in Hull and East Yorkshire. Must receive benefits (find full list here). |
| BT | BT Home Essential | £15 | 12 months + no exit fee | 36Mbps | You must receive either Universal Credit, Employment and Support Allowance (Eligibility rules apply), Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit), Jobseeker’s Allowance (Eligibility rules apply) or Income Support |
| Country Connect | Country Connect Social Tariff | £15 | 12 months + no exit fee | 50Mbps | Must receive either Employment and Support Allowance (eligibility rules apply), Jobseeker’s Allowance (eligibility rules apply), Income Support, Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit) or Universal Credit (all claimants) |
| G.Network | G.Network Essential Fibre Broadband | £15 | 12 Months | 50Mbps | Only available in London. Show proof of either Universal Credit, Income Support, Pension Credit (guarantee credit), income-related Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) or income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). |
| Hyperoptic | Hyperoptic Fair Fibre 50 | £15 | 30-day rolling contract | 50Mbps | Must show proof of Income Support, Pension Credit, income-related JSA, Housing Benefit, Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance, Univeral Credit, Care Leavers Support or income-related Employment and Support Allowance. |
| Virgin Media | Virgin Media Essential Broadband | £12.50 | 30-day rolling contract | 15Mbps | You must receive Universal Credit, Pension Credit, income-based Employment Support Allowance, Income Support or income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance. Only available to Virgin Media customers. |
| WightFibre | WightFibre Essential Broadband | £16.50 | 30-day rolling contract | 100Mbps | Only Available in Isle of Wight. Eligible if you are claiming Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Employment Support Allowance or income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance |
| Grayshott Gigabit | Grayshott Gigabit Social Tariff | £22 | Twelve month minimum term | 100Mbps | Only available in East Hampshire, Surrey Hills, surrounding areas. You must show proof of Universal Credit (with zero earnings), Pension Credit or Income support, Personal Independence Payment, Employment Support Allowance, Care Home Residents and Care Leavers |
| Sky | Sky Broadband Basics | £20 | 18 months | 36Mbps | You must show proof you are claiming one of the following benefits – Universal Credit, Pension Credit, income-based Employment Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or Income Support. |
| NOW | NOW Broadband Basics | £20 | 31 days notice to cancel | 36Mbps | You must show proof you are claiming one of the following benefits – Universal Credit, Pension Credit, income-based Employment Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or Income Support. |
What help can I get from Vodafone with broadband costs?
Vodafone offers two social tariff deals.
Firstly, the Vodafone Essentials Broadband deal costs only £12 a month for 12 months.
Secondly, the Vodafone Fibre 2 Essentials costs £20 a month and gives customers speeds of up to 73 Mbps – compared to speeds of 38 Mbps provided by the Essentials deal. It follows findings from consumer group Which? that concerns over broadband speed on social tariffs was slowing take-up of them.
Its offers are for customers who claim Universal Credit, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance, Disability Allowance or Personal Independence Payment.
The first deal comes to £144 a year and allows eligible customers to save over £10 a month – or £156 a year – when compared to Vodafone Full Fibre, (with speeds of up to 910 Mbps), which costs £25 a month with a two year contract.
The second deal comes to £240 a year and makes a saving of £5 a month or £60 a year when compared to the Full Fibre deal.
There is no set-up fee to pay, and you can leave for free at any time – which is another benefit as you usually have to pay a penalty or exit fee if you want to leave early before your deal ends.
After 12 months, Vodafone will reassess whether you are still eligible for the deal.
There’s also a separate mobile broadband deal known as Voxi for Now for customers on the same benefits mentioned. This deal offers unlimited 5G data, calls and texts for £10 for up to six months and you can change, pause or cancel the deal at any time
What help can I get from Three with broadband costs?
Three has a £12-a-month mobile tariff for people in receipt of a range of benefits, including income-based Employment Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support, Pension Credit, or Universal Credit.
The package, available through Three’s sub-brand Smarty, offers unlimited calls, texts and data and is offered as a flexible one-month rolling plan that can be changed or cancelled at any time.
What help can I get from Sky with broadband costs?
Sky Broadband Basics package costs £20 a month and is for existing customers only. The tariff offers 36Mb/s broadband for 18 months.
To qualify, the Sky account holder has to be claiming one of the following benefits – Universal Credit, Pension Credit, income-based Employment Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or Income Support.
What help can I get from BT with broadband costs?
BT’s social tariff comes in the form of its Home Essentials package, which includes broadband at speeds of 36Mb/s and 700 minutes of landline calls for £15 a month.
To qualify you have to be claiming Universal Credit, Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Pension Credit or Employment and Support Allowance.
New or existing BT customers can apply and you can switch over to this deal at no extra charge if you’re an existing BT, EE or Plusnet broadband customer who is eligible for the Home Essentials package.
What help can I get from Virgin Media with broadband costs?
Virgin’s social tariff is its Essential deal, which costs £12.50 a month and is for existing and new customers.
However we found the average speed is the slowest of all the providers offering social broadband tariffs at just 15Mb/s – around half the average speed offered by other providers.
To qualify you have to be claiming Universal Credit, income-based Employment Support Allowance (ESA), income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), income support, Pension Credit or show you are facing financial difficulty.
What help can I get from TalkTalk with broadband costs?
Rather than a social tariff, TalkTalk offers free broadband for six months through a partnership with Jobcentre Plus.
Jobseekers can claim six months of the provider’s Fibre35 broadband, which normally costs £22 a month, without an actual contract. Fibre35 provides average speeds of 38Mb/s.
To qualify you have to be claiming Universal Credit and have a work coach through the Jobcentre. This is because the scheme is run in partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
To claim your free six months of free broadband you need to use your DWP referral code, which should be sent automatically. You can ask your work coach at the Jobcentre if you struggle to find it.
What help can I get from Hyperoptic with broadband costs?
Hyperoptic offers two social tariffs for low-income households. Hyperoptic Fair Fibre 50 costs £15 a month for broadband at 50Mp/s and you can opt to pay an extra £3 a month for a landline with free evening and weekend calls.
Hyperoptic Fair Fibre 150 offers the same benefits but has a much faster broadband speed of 150Mp/s and costs £20 a month.
Both options come with rolling contracts so you can cancel at anytime.
Hyperoptic is a smaller provider than the likes of BT, Virgin and TalkTalk so its broadband coverage is less extensive. You can check the broadband coverage map on the Hyperoptic website to see if its service is available at your property.
To qualify for Hyperoptic’s social tariffs you can be a new or existing customer and must be claiming one of the following benefits – Universal Credit, income-related Jobseeker’s Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, housing benefit or Pension Credit, Attendance Allowance, Care Leavers support or Income Support.
What help can I get from GNetwork with broadband costs?
GNetwork’s Essential Fibre tariff offers broadband at 50Mp/s for just £15 a month.
Note that GNetwork is a London-only provider and its broadband coverage does not cover all of London, so you will need to double check if its network is appropriate for you.
To qualify you have to be claiming Universal Credit, Income Support, income-related Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance or Pension Credit.
What help can I get from KCOM with broadband costs?
KCOM’s Full Fibre Flex offers broadband at 30Mp/s for just £14.99 a month. You can add calls on for just £5.10 per month on a 12-month contract. There are no early termination charges.
Note that KCOM only covers east Yorkshire and Hull, so it won’t be an option for everyone.
To qualify you have to be claiming Universal Credit (with zero earnings), Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Housing Benefit, Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance or Pension Credit.
You can also apply for the tariff if you are a care leaver, or a care home resident if you are referred via social services.
