10 benefits including Universal Credit that qualify for cheap or free broadband and mobile
THOUSANDS of low-income households could be eligible for discounted broadband and mobile phone contracts, with huge savings up for grabs.
A number of providers offer special tariffs for those receiving qualifying benefits, but many eligible people are not claiming the discounts.
These tariffs, known as “social tariffs”, are available to households on certain benefits, including Universal Credit, and usually cost substantially less than a firm’s standard broadband packages.
Here, we have outlined what all the major telecoms firms offer.
BT
BT Home Essentials offers fibre broadband and call plans from £15 a month.
For £15 customers who have no income and receive qualifying benefits can receive speeds of 36Mbps and unlimited calls.
Those receiving benefits with a limited income can access the same plan, but without calls, for £20, with the option to upgrade to speeds of 67Mbps for £23 a month.
Those on a limited income can add a call plan with unlimited calls for £10, or a pay-as-you-go plan for £2.
There is also a one-off delivery charge for your broadband hub of £11.99.
You can sign up to the tariffs if you receive the following benefits:
- Universal Credit
- Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit)
- Employment and Support Allowance
- Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income Support
Sky
Sky’s Broadband Basics plan costs £20 a month on a 24-month contract.
It includes superfast broadband with average download speeds of 36Mbps, or 11Mbps in areas where fibre is unavailable.
The contract also includes the Sky Pay As You Talk landline call plan, which sees customers charged only for the calls they make.
You can also add on a free 5GB data plan with Sky Mobile, including unlimited calls and texts to the UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man.
To sign up you need to be in receipt of one of the following benefits:
- Universal Credit
- Pension Credit
- Income-based Employment Support Allowance
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income Support
The plan is only available to existing Sky customers.
If you cancel your contract before the 24-month term ends you will not be charged an early termination fee.
After 24-months the price will revert to the standard rate.
Virgin Media
Virgin Media’s Essential Broadband tariffs can see you get online for as little as £12.50 a month.
The standard Essential Broadband package will give you 15Mbps fibre broadband on a rolling 30-day contract with free setup.
The Essential Broadband Plus tariff offers 54Mbps for £20 a month, with the option to add streaming from Virgin Media for a one-off setup fee of £20.
The tariffs are available to new and existing customers in receipt of the following benefits:
- Universal Credit
- Pension Credit
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-based Support Allowance
Vodafone
Vodafone’s Essentials Broadband can give you download speeds of 73Mbps for as little as £20 a month.
The tariff guarantees no mid-contract price rises and gives customers the flexibility to leave without termination fees.
Vodafone also offers social mobile tariffs. Its Voxi For Now sim-only tariff offers unlimited data, calls and texts for £10 a month.
The tariffs are available to new and existing customers in receipt of:
- Universal Credit
- Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Pension Credit
- Employment Support Allowance
- Income support
- Reduced earnings allowance
- Personal independence payments
- Disability Allowance
EE
EE Social is a low-cost social mobile tariff that offers customers 5GB of data and unlimited calls and texts for £12 a month with speeds of up to 25 Mbps.
The sim-only plan is available on a 30-day rolling contract for 12 months, with no early exit fees.
Customers will be eligible if they’re in receipt of:
- Universal Credit
- Pension Credit
- Employment Support Allowance
- Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income Support
G.Network
G.Network’s Essential Fibre tariff offers low-income households in London 50Mbps download speeds for £15 a month.
The contract is available on a 12-month term to customers in receipt of:
- Universal Credit
- Income Support
- Pension Credit
- Income-related Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment Support Allowance
Grayshott Gigabit
Grayshott Gigabit’s social tariff Connect offers speeds of 100Mbps for £22 per month with a guarantee of no mid-term price increases.
The contract is available to customers in receipt of:
- Universal Credit (with zero earnings)
- Pension Credit
- Income Support
Hey! Broadband
Hey! Broadband’s social tariff Everyday Fibre offers 100 Mbps for £16 a month with free installation with the guarantee of no mid-term price increases.
The tariff is available to anyone in receipt of:
- Universal Credit
- Pension Credit
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment Support Allowance
- Housing benefit
- Attendance Allowance
Now
Now’s Broadband Basics tariff offers average download speeds of 36Mbps for £20 a month.
You can also sign up for Now’s pay as you use calls plan at no extra cost.
Customers who receive the following benefits are eligible:
- Universal Credit
- Pension Credit
- Income-based Employment Support Allowance
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income Support
Hyperoptic
Hyperoptic’s Fair Fibre Plan offers 50Mbps broadband for £15 a month or superfast 150Mbps for £20 a month, both with free installation.
The tariffs are available on a 30-day rolling contract and the option to cancel anytime with 30-days notice.
The tariff is available to anyone in receipt of:
- Attendance Allowance
- Care leavers’ support
- Housing Benefit
- Personal independence payments
Smarty
Owned by Three, cheap mobile provider Smarty’s mobile social tariff offers unlimited data, UK calls and texts for £12.
It includes 5G at no extra cost and EU roaming up to 12GB, on a rolling monthly contract.
It is available to customers receiving:
- Income-based Employment Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income Support
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
A great help to many
ANALYSIS by The Sun’s Head of Consumer Tara Evans:
Broadband is now an essential bill and being able to get online cheaply and safely is the first step towards being able to get a new job or increase your income.
But don’t forget to check if you could be missing out on other perks if you’re on a low income.
Energy firms also offer discounted tariffs and even have support funds for anyone struggling with debt.
You could even get a discount on your council tax bill.
If you’re on Universal Credit or other benefits, then there are many schemes out there to help you.
4th Utility
4th Utility’s social tariff gives average speeds of 30Mbps for £13.99 a month on a 30-day rolling contract and is guaranteed not to increase in price mid-term.
The tariff is available to customers in receipt of:
- Universal Credit
- Income Support
- Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Employment Support Allowance
- Pension Credit
Connect Fibre
Connect Fibre has two social broadband tariffs.
Its Basic Essentials tariff gives speeds of 50Mbps for £20 a month, while its Essentials tariff gives speeds of 150Mbps for £25 a month.
Connect Fibre offers free installation and guarantees there will be no mid-term price increases.
The tariffs are available for customers in receipt of:
- Income Support
- Pension Credit
- Income-related Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Housing Benefit
- Personal independence payments
- Disability Benefit
- Attendance Allowance
- Universal Credit
- Care leaver’s support
- Income-related Employment Support Allowance
Country Connect
Country Connect’s social tariff offers 25Mbp download speeds for £15 a month.
The price includes free installation and unlimited data.
The tariff is only available on a 12-month contract, but if you exit early you will not be charged a termination fee.
The tariff is available to customers in receipt of:
- Employment Support Allowance
- Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income Support
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
You Fibre
You Fibre’s social tariff includes speeds of 50 Mbps for £15 a month on a 24-month contract.
The tariff is available to customers in receipt of:
- Income Support
- pension Credit
- Income-related Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Housing Benefit
- Personal Independence Payment
- Attendance Allowance
- Universal Credit
TalkTalk
Jobseekers on Universal Credit can claim six months of TalkTalk’s Fibre35 broadband for free.
The scheme is part of TalkTalk’s Flexible Support Fund and gives those on a low-income a no-contract voucher which they can use to get free broadband.
It was launched in September 2022 by TalkTalk and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to help bolster internet access for people on benefits and looking for work.
You must be claiming Universal Credit and have a work coach through the Job Centre to qualify.
To apply, you can contact your local JobCentre for a DWP referral code.
Fibre35 gives average speeds of 38Mbs and usually costs £26 a month on an 18-month contract, plus a £10 postage charge.
Community Fibre
Community Fibre, with the help of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), is providing free access to broadband in some London boroughs.
The scheme, which launched earlier this year, will see those eligible receive 12 months of free broadband, with speeds of 50Mbps from the Community Fibre network.
The offer comes with no set-up or line rental costs and is open to individuals who are disabled, carers, or those who have been receiving any of the following benefits for more than three months:
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-based Employment Support Allowance
- Pension Credit
- Income Support
- Universal Credit
Households can be signposted for support at their local Jobcentre Plus, if they’re registered in Woolwich, Peckham, Tower Hamlets, Harlesden, Barnsbury or Finsbury Park.
Finding the right tariff
Providers offer packages with different speeds and prices, and not all are available across the UK.
Prices range from £12.50 to £25 a month.
How you apply for a social tariff varies depending on which supplier you sign up with.
It’s important to shop around when you’re looking for a new broadband deal, as other internet packages could be more suited to your needs.
The regulator, Ofcom, has a list on its website of all the social tariffs currently on offer.
Click here to view the full list.
It is also worth comparing deals on sites such as MoneySupermarket and GoCompare to find the best deal for your budget.
And be aware that if you’re already mid-way through a contract, you might have to pay an exit fee to leave your contract early.
CUT YOUR TELECOM COSTS NOW
SWITCHING contracts is one of the single best ways to save money on your mobile, broadband and TV bills.
But if you can’t switch mid-contract without facing a penalty, you’d be best to hold off until it’s up for renewal.
But don’t just switch contracts because the price is cheaper than what you’re currently paying.
Take a look at your minutes and texts, as well as your data usage, to find out which deal is best for you.
For example, if you’re a heavy internet user, it’s worth finding a deal that accommodates this so you don’t have to spend extra on bundles or add-ons each month.
In the weeks before your contract is up, use comparison sites to familiarise yourself with what deals are available.
It’s a known fact that new customers always get the best deals.
Sites like MoneySuperMarket and Uswitch all help you customise your search based on price, allowances and provider.
This should make it easier to decide whether to renew your contract or move to another provider.
However, if you don’t want to switch and are happy with the service you’re getting under your current provider – haggle for a better deal.
You can still make significant savings by renewing your contract rather than rolling on to the tariff you’re given after your deal.
If you need to speak to a company on the phone, be sure to catch them at the right time.
Make some time to negotiate with your provider in the morning.
This way, you have a better chance of being the first customer through on the phone, and the rep won’t have worked tirelessly through previous calls which may have affected their stress levels.
It pays to be polite when getting through to someone on the phone, as representatives are less inclined to help rude or aggressive customers.
Knowing what other offers are on the market can help you to make a case for yourself to your provider.
If your provider won’t haggle, you can always threaten to leave.
Companies don’t want to lose customers and may come up with a last-minute offer to keep you.
It’s also worth investigating social tariffs. These deals have been created for people who are receiving certain benefits.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories