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Struggling to afford your phone or broadband service? A 'social tariff' could help

Published: 11 January 2022
Last updated: 5 July 2023

If you're having difficulty paying for your phone or broadband service, don’t ignore it. You should speak to your provider as soon as possible to see how they might be able to help you.

There’s a number of things they can offer – one of these is a social tariff, which is a cheaper package available to some customers depending on their circumstances.

Broadband services

The broadband market offers customers a wide range of choice, with different deals available to suit different needs. Some providers offer social tariffs which are only available to customers who receive certain government benefits, as set out in the table below.

ProductPriceSpeedEligibility
BT Home Essentials £15 a month Around 36 Mbit/s Various benefits (in and out of work)
BT Home Essentials 2 £20 a month Around 67 Mbit/s Various benefits (in and out of work)
Community Fibre £10 a month 10 Mbit/s Various benefits (in and out of work)
G.Network Essential Fibre Broadband £15 a month 50 Mbit/s Various benefits (in and out of work)
Hyperoptic Fair Fibre 50 £15 a month 50 Mbit/s Various benefits (in and out of work)
Hyperoptic Fair Fibre 150 £25 a month 150 Mbit/s Various benefits (in and out of work)
KCOM Full Fibre Flex £19.99 a month 30 Mbit/s Various benefits (in and out of work)
Virgin Media Essential Broadband £15 a month 15 Mbit/s Universal Credit

Voice-only landline services

For voice-only landline services, BT and KCOM also provide social tariffs to eligible households – details of these are included in the BT and KCOM links above.

In addition to these tariffs, other support might be available to customers who might not be able to get online because they struggle to afford internet services. If you’re struggling to pay your mobile phone or broadband bill, you should speak to your provider as soon as possible to see how they can help.

More information

We have further advice available on costs, billing and switching for phone and broadband customers. Take a look to see what options might be available to you.

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