Social Tariffs for Broadband: Cheap Internet If You're on Benefits

Social tariffs are discounted broadband for people on low incomes or receiving benefits. You’ll pay roughly half what standard deals cost, and you’re not locked into anything. Thing is, almost nobody claims them even though they could.

Who Can Get Them

You qualify if you (or anyone else in your household) receives:

Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Income Support, or Personal Independence Payment (PIP) depending on the provider. Each company has different rules about what they’ll accept, so there’s a bit of variation.

What You Can Actually Get

Provider	Package	Speed	Cost	Accepts
BT	Home Essentials	36 Mbps	£15	UC, PC, ESA, JSA, IS
BT	Home Essentials 2	67 Mbps	£24	UC, PC, ESA, JSA, IS
Virgin Media	Essential	15 Mbps	£12.50	UC, PC
Vodafone	Voxi For Now	38 Mbps	£12	UC, PC, JSA, ESA, IS
Sky	Basics	36 Mbps	£20	UC, PC
Now	Basics	36 Mbps	£20	UC, PC
Hyperoptic	Fair Fibre	50 Mbps	£15	UC, PC, ESA, JSA, IS

These change all the time, so check provider websites for what’s on offer right now.

Social Tariffs vs Everything Else

For the same speeds, here’s what you’re looking at:

Type of Deal	Monthly Cost	Locked In?	Exit Fees
Standard 18-month contract	£25-30	Yes	Yes
Standard rolling monthly	£35-45	No	No
Social tariff	£12-20	No	No

Best bit about social tariffs? The price you pay when you sign up is the price you pay at the end. No surprise increases mid-contract because you’re not in a contract anyway.

Why Don’t More People Claim Them?

Ofcom reckons about 4.3 million households could get a social tariff. As of mid-2024, roughly 506,000 actually do (up from under 250,000 in 2023). Take-up is getting better but it’s still tiny. There are a few reasons:

Most people simply don’t know they exist. Providers don’t exactly advertise them on their homepage. You’ve got to actively search.

The application process can be needlessly complicated with some companies, and let’s be honest, some people feel uncomfortable identifying as being on benefits. Then there’s the fact that if you’re already locked into a contract, switching costs money in exit fees.

Real talk though: if you qualify, not claiming is money down the drain. There’s absolutely no shame in paying less for identical broadband.

Getting a Social Tariff

Start by checking you actually qualify for one of the right benefits. Then hunt around for which providers can serve your address. You’ll need to contact them (phone or online, depends on the company) with proof of your benefits, usually just your name, address and benefit reference number.

Some providers let you switch to a social tariff while you’re already their customer. Others only offer them to brand new customers. It’s worth asking.

Here’s the big one: you won’t need a credit check. That’s genuinely important if you’ve had credit problems in the past, because standard broadband can be hard to get with a dodgy credit file.

Already With Someone Else?

If you’re mid-contract with a provider and you start receiving benefits, contact them and ask if you can move to their social tariff. Some let you do this without charging exit fees. Others make you wait until your contract’s done. Either way, it’s worth the phone call. The regulations actually push providers to help customers in financial difficulty, so they might surprise you.

Poor Credit History?

Standard broadband needs a credit check. If you’ve got CCJs, missed payments, or basically no credit file to speak of, you might get knocked back.

Social tariffs don’t credit check. That means they’re accessible to people who’d genuinely struggle to get broadband any other way.

Is the Speed Enough for You?

Most social tariffs sit in the 15-50 Mbps range. To give you a sense of what that means: HD streaming takes 5-10 Mbps per stream, video calls need about 3-5 Mbps per person, and basic browsing just needs 5-10 Mbps. For most households, 36-50 Mbps is more than enough. You’d only hit problems if you’ve got four or more people trying to stream HD video simultaneously.

Mobile Deals Too

If you need both broadband and a phone contract, some providers throw in cheap mobile options. VOXI (Vodafone) does 40GB data with unlimited calls and texts for a tenner. Smarty’s got SIM-only deals that don’t need benefits. Stacking these up can add up to decent savings.

Getting Refused?

If a provider knocks you back, ask why and get it in writing. Make sure you’ve actually met their specific criteria. Send clearer proof of your benefits. Try another provider with different requirements. If you think you’ve been unfairly turned down, Citizens Advice are worth contacting.

The rules say providers should make these deals accessible. If they’re putting up unnecessary barriers, that’s something worth pushing back on.