Broadband Social Tariffs For People On Universal Credit (And certain legacy benefits) With Best Deals Available

Posted 16th Feb 2022
Update 1
Thread updated

Full list of all tariffs available following this link
ofcom.org.uk/pho…ffs
With the announcement a few weeks ago from BT/EE that they will be offering their essential broadband tariff in store, I thought it would be interesting to try and find, or list below the current providers offering some deals for people on universal credit. Or low cost 4G broadband.

Note: since I have updated to reflect the fact three 4g broadband is no longer cheap, and the graphic below gives you an updated list credit

3890502_1.jpg
ispreview.co.uk/ind…tml

3890502_1.jpg

Dedicated broadband services:

BT Broadband
BT Home essentials for £15 per month with speeds of up to 67mb - bt.com/exp…als

Who can get BT Home Essentials?
New or existing BT customers can apply. You’ll also need to be receiving one of these benefits to qualify:

  • Universal Credit
    (all claimants)
  • Pension Credit
    (Guarantee Credit)




Community fibre
Community fibre 10mb for £10 per month (London Only) - communityfibre.co.uk/pre…ndo

All customers signing up to the Essential 10Mbps broadband package for 12 months must email evidence of their benefit payment to covidhelp@communityfibre.co.uk this can be any of the following documents:

  • Universal Credit
    • Housing Benefit
    • Income Support
    • Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
    • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
  • Care Leavers support
  • Personal Independence Payment



Gnetwork Brodband
G - Network Essential fibre broadband 50mb for £15 per month - g.network/hom…and

In order to qualify for Essential Fibre, customers must be (and remain) eligible for, and in receipt of, at least one of the following benefits:

  • Universal Credit
  • Income Support
  • Pension Credit (guarantee credit)
  • Income-related Job Seekers Allowance (JSA)
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
We will ask customers to provide us with documentation to prove that they are currently receiving at least one of the qualifying benefits.

The named individual on the Essential Fibre order must be the same as the named individual receiving a qualifying benefit and registered at the same address.

Enjoy a Full Fibre connection offering 50Mbps download speeds for just £15 a month for those who are eligible.

Why choose G.Network’s Essential Fibre broadband?

  • Superfast speeds (50Mb download speed/15Mb upload speed)
  • End-to-end 100% fibre directly into every home, (unlike other providers who use slower copper wires)
  • Free connection and 12-month minimum contract term *
  • Wifi router included **
  • A telephone support line to deal with any problems



Hyperoptic Broadband
Hyperoptic fair fibre, £15 per month for 50mb - hyperoptic.com/fai…an/

Who is eligible for Hyperoptic’s Fair Fibre Plan?

Hyperoptic’s Fair Fibre Plan is available to new and existing customers, subject to eligibility criteria. You will need to apply and supply some personal information to us to show you’re currently receiving at least one of the following qualifying benefits:

Income Support
Pension Credit
Income-related Job Seekers Allowance (JSA)
Housing Benefit
Personal Independence Payment
Attendance Allowance
Universal Credit
Care Leavers support
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)



Virgin broadband
Virgin media essential broadband for £12.50 per month with 15mb downloads - virginmedia.com/hel…and

Essential Broadband gives you download and upload speeds averaging 15Mbps and 2Mbps – plenty for browsing, emailing, making video calls, HD streaming, casual gaming and keeping up to date on social media.

  • Available to those who receive Universal Credit
  • Always at £15 a month, if you’re eligible
  • Your price won’t change while you’re receiving Universal Credit payments
  • 30-day rolling contract
  • This is a broadband-only package available to current Virgin Media customers – if you currently have a package which includes TV and a phone line these services will be disconnected



Kcom
Kcom full fibre flex for £19.99 per month for 30mb - kcom.com/hom…ge/

Flex package information and eligibility criteria
Our Flex Packages are only available to customers who pass the following criteria.

  • Income Support
  • Pension Credit
  • Job Seekers Allowance
  • Housing Benefit
  • Personal Independence Payment
  • Attendance Allowance
  • Universal Credit, with zero earnings*
  • Care Home residents and Lifeline customers who are referred to us via Social Services
  • Care Leavers
  • Employment and Support Allowance (EAS) (Income related)
  • Individuals on the Government’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) Shielded Patients List until such time as Coronavirus no longer requires these individuals to practice social shielding

*This means the person claiming the Universal Credit doesn't receive any earnings from employment or self-employment during their Universal Credit assessment period.
Anyone applying must provide us with proof of eligibility with their application. The person eligible (as above) must also be the person whose name is on the bill.



TalkTalk
Possible 6 months free broadband from TalkTalk - uswitch.com/bro…rs/

What’s included in the free TalkTalk broadband package for jobseekers?

Eligible jobseekers will be able to get the TalkTalk Fibre 35 package, which has an average download speed of 38Mbps and an average upload speed of 9Mbps. The Fibre 25 package, which is normally priced at £23 a month on an 18-month contract, will be available for free for six months.

More importantly, it doesn’t come with any obligation to continue with TalkTalk once the six months is over. In fact, the contract will terminate, rather than renew automatically. Customers will need to opt in to continue with TalkTalk or will be able to switch to a new broadband deal if they want.

This is a standard fibre broadband deal, offering jobseekers plenty of bandwidth and broadband speed to do the basics and get online while they’re looking for work. It doesn’t come with any extra services, such as inclusive calls or pay-TV services. But will include important key features, such as unlimited data usage, an included Wi-Fi router and access to its internet security features.

Note: if you choose to leave TalkTalk, you’ll need to return your Wi-Fi router in the supplied pre-paid returns service.

How to apply for free broadband from TalkTalk

Jobcentre Plus staff will be trained on the new scheme and will be tasked with identifying eligible participants so they can offer the vouchers. If you’re out of work at the moment, ask your Jobcentre Plus work coach if you’d be eligible for the scheme, especially if you don’t currently have broadband at home. It will be up to Jobcentre Plus staff to determine eligibility which they will have to assess on a case-by-case basis. But don’t worry, there’s no limit on the number of voucher referral codes available and there’s currently no cut-off date for applying.

If you’re eligible, your work coach will supply you with a referral code, which you can then use to contact TalkTalk directly and arrange an installation. This means that you’ll bypass the credit check that’s usually required to take out a service. So it shouldn’t have any negative impact on your credit score.

If you need to find better, more affordable broadband, check out our listings for the latest broadband deals on offer in the UK.


Sky
Sky are now offering a social tariff for £20 per month on 36mb.
sky.com/hel…iff

Are you eligible?
You (the Sky account holder) need to be claiming Universal Credit or Pension Credit and be named on the Universal or Pension Credit monthly statement to qualify for Sky Broadband Basics. We’ll ask you for your National Insurance number so than we can check you’re eligible - have it to hand when you get in touch.

It is only available to customers who already have Sky Broadband with us, but you’ll need to get in touch to move to Sky Broadband Basics.

Not got Sky Broadband? NOW has a similar product that might be suitable. Go to What is NOW Broadband Basics for more info.


What’s included
Sky Broadband Basics costs £20 a month for 18 months. It includes:

Sky Broadband Superfast 35 with an average download speed of 36Mb/s.
Or if fibre isn’t available where you live, Sky Broadband Essential Plus with average download speeds of 11Mb/s.
Sky Pay As You Talk. Only pay for the calls that you make.

It comes with a new 18-month contract, but if you need to leave us before it ends, we won’t charge you any early termination fees on your Sky Broadband.

After 18-months the price will go back to the standard rate – we’ll tell you what this will be when you get in touch to take Sky Broadband Basics. You’ll also get an email to let you know when the price is coming to an end, and you can get in touch to talk about the options available.



Further links to some on topic categories for your perusal

Broadband
Virgin
Vodafone
BT
Superfast Broadband

Hope this helps!

A simple guide to cheap broadband
Community Updates
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131 Comments

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's avatar
  1. jaju123's avatar
    Honestly at these prices you may as well get a three unlimited SIM for your main phone and use hotspot for WiFi, killing two birds with one stone
    Dan7712's avatar
    I am currently using my three SIM to tether while my FTTP gets fitted.

    On 3 bars of 4G, I am getting about 10mb down and about 2mb up.

    Really struggle on Teams calls, specially with screensharing.

    If you have decent 5G signal, you would be fine, but I wouldn't cancel your current broadband and belive your phone signal will be good enough.

    I also don't get the hatred for three. Been a customer for well over 10 years with very little issues.
  2. ChrisBargainHunt's avatar
    The BT £15pcm deal includes unlimited calls. You get to keep your your normal landline phone number but lose the landline. You just have to plug your home phone into the router instead of the landline.
  3. deleted2215657's avatar
    jaju12316/02/2022 08:59

    Honestly at these prices you may as well get a three unlimited SIM for …Honestly at these prices you may as well get a three unlimited SIM for your main phone and use hotspot for WiFi, killing two birds with one stone


    But, Three...

    Dealing with Universal Credit is bad enough, no need to give them the extra frustration of dealing with the Three network as well
  4. still2day's avatar
    Why do people always fight each other or put others down. Everyone is struggling one way or another and as long as these governments stay in power which they will, the last thing we should worry about it people saving or even finding loopholes to save a few PENNIES compared to the very people you elect who are robbing society of BILLIONS EVERY MONTH. Covid is a prime example of financial gain by the elite but here we are arguing about the micro details like it has any significance.
  5. Raptorman's avatar
    I am with BT and have just renewed with them and got the £20 per month deal(I am on Universal Credit) and it included a new router and a brand new digital 'Alexa' enabled phone, the guy who set it up even waived the £10 router delivery fee.
  6. puddsy's avatar
    Steve_Betts7016/02/2022 17:36

    You can get TV without broadband and let’s be honest, things like Netflix e …You can get TV without broadband and let’s be honest, things like Netflix etc are not “essential” compared to food etc? Even if you are streaming, Netflix only needs 2mb so what more do people need (ie not want)?


    Like i said its value for money. 2mb would just about suffice for slow web browsing and low quality streaming. Would you pay £15 for it? Just becasue someone is poor doesn't mean they should be offered shoddy deals which barely touch their network capacity and have a greater profit margin then any of their other broadband products. 10 people taking this deal would use a total of 150Mb at a cost of £150 a month. I get £200 Mb for £22.
  7. Charger1969's avatar
    Yeah it's a shame that it's taken over 8 months for this discussion that should have been highlighted back in Jun 21 to come to light hotukdeals.com/dis…e=2
  8. holty1971's avatar
    Interesting that these deals are available to those claiming Universal Credit but not the legacy benefit i.e. Working Tax Credit. There are many out there who haven't been switched to Universal Credit so are ineligible for social tariffs. Seems a little unfair.
    RoosterNo1's avatar
    I've asked virgin about this as it's discrimination... But they won't budge
  9. TristanDeCoonha's avatar
    I have just received my new bill telling me that it is now £21.40. A bit of a stunner considering I am on the Virgin Essentials package. The reason is that my year is almost up, and a simple renewal would keep it going. They have yet to send out my reminder.
    Instead, I tried Customer Services to see if I could get the 100 service for £18 that I have seen several claim to get. This would avoid the buffering I get on the higher quality videos. I don't do gaming and that nonsense.
    Level 1 could only offer it at £31.
    Transferred to Level 2 who could only offer at £30, but told me that they could do no deals as such because of the type of service. It seems you cannot easily come off Essentials to drop back into the mainstream, despite being given this info on sign up.
    The suggestion was to cancel, and come back as a new customer, where in I could go for the Uswitch etc deals available. I asked how I would stand as it would go back into my name the same day as it is killed, and it seems that because they cancelled and not me, there will be no issue.
    He did also mention that Retentions would likely call and we can dance as appropriately before the end date, and just to hold off until they can match the deals I can get elsewhere.
    I then asked about the O2 service, as there is a £6 deal going at the moment. The news is that not only would you go from 100 to 200 for "free", but as a Volt customer they would throw in a 3 piece Nest / mesh type service for free.
    So for £24, if it works out, I could change my network, go from 15 to 200mb, get a mesh system, get whatever Volt speed and allowance is on the O2, and still work out to be £2 per month better off than I am now.
  10. ChrisBargainHunt's avatar
    Not mentioned is that the BT Broadband deal means no more telephone line rental charges. You simply plug your home phone into the BT hub. You keep your same home phone number. I find calls to be clearer than using the old telephone line. The only disadvantage is that you can't make calls if the broadband goes down - but then you might use a mobile in those circumstances.
  11. stargatefan's avatar
    Fantastic deals for those on certain benefits. I have the link for of com who have updated the list on the social tariff which may be useful. ofcom.org.uk/pho…ffs
    MrSwitch's avatar
    Author
    That's fantastic mate, appreciate, have added to the description
  12. Davejay81's avatar
    At these prices.. go with Three as a mobile provider and tether a WiFi connection for your house.

    Yes. Seriously. I had basic internet when I moved into my new build as they'd not laid down any fibre lines at all.. 5mbps maximum speed. Shocking. And even at that, the national average is 10/11mbps on basic broadband.

    Assuming you can get even a decent enough 4g signal on your phone, you'll be saving an extra monthly bill getting an unlimited SIM. Big time.
  13. Steve_Betts70's avatar
    xanoas16/02/2022 16:04

    Does community fibre think this is a joke? 10Mbps?


    Surely the idea of this is just to help people access services and job searches etc. so why would 10mb not suffice? Anyone not happy with 10mb is welcome to pay more like the rest of us? (edited)
  14. Steve_Betts70's avatar
    puddsy16/02/2022 17:29

    I think the point was the "rest of us" aren't paying much more as you can …I think the point was the "rest of us" aren't paying much more as you can can get 10 times the speed for just a few quid more. Its not just for job searches, people on universal credit do watch tv and sometimes have children who watch it too. It's just not value for money compared to some of the other offerings. If £15 is 6% of your total monthly income then you want value for money.


    You can get TV without broadband and let’s be honest, things like Netflix etc are not “essential” compared to food etc? Even if you are streaming, Netflix only needs 2mb so what more do people need (ie not want)?
  15. jaju123's avatar
    deleted221565716/02/2022 09:18

    But, Three...Dealing with Universal Credit is bad enough, no need to give t …But, Three...Dealing with Universal Credit is bad enough, no need to give them the extra frustration of dealing with the Three network as well


    Lol yeah, totally depends on where you live. Just thought I'd suggest it as an option, might save you even more money if you find yourself in that situation
  16. shamus21's avatar
    And_JM-iak17/02/2022 04:52

    The number of job vacancies are on record high. And yet people climes …The number of job vacancies are on record high. And yet people climes Universal Credit :/ .


    perhaps the situation is not what it seems. most jobs on offer are just very low paid slaver jobs that anybody with any self-respect would not entertain.
  17. Truffian69's avatar
    jaju12316/02/2022 09:19

    Lol yeah, totally depends on where you live. Just thought I'd suggest it …Lol yeah, totally depends on where you live. Just thought I'd suggest it as an option, might save you even more money if you find yourself in that situation


    It's a great idea & bound to help somebody on here with lower income.
    Lovely. (edited)
  18. puddsy's avatar
    Steve_Betts7016/02/2022 16:36

    Surely the idea of this is just to help people access services and job …Surely the idea of this is just to help people access services and job searches etc. so why would 10mb not suffice? Anyone not happy with 10mb is welcome to pay more like the rest of us?


    I think the point was the "rest of us" aren't paying much more as you can can get 10 times the speed for just a few quid more. Its not just for job searches, people on universal credit do watch tv and sometimes have children who watch it too. It's just not value for money compared to some of the other offerings. If £15 is 6% of your total monthly income then you want value for money.
    lmaolmao's avatar
    Not to mention people on universal credit often have full-time jobs....
  19. Truffian69's avatar
    HEAT OP

    Really nice & helpful list for less fortunate dealers &/or tightwads!
    Juse when you think there's always moaning and groaning on here, something like this is Posted & smacks me right in the Aorta.

    🏻
  20. Charger1969's avatar
    About time this was highlighted, been on discussions for months but Mods didn't see it fit to be public so well done getting it here
  21. plebbygiraffe's avatar
    Steve_Betts7016/02/2022 17:36

    You can get TV without broadband and let’s be honest, things like Netflix e …You can get TV without broadband and let’s be honest, things like Netflix etc are not “essential” compared to food etc? Even if you are streaming, Netflix only needs 2mb so what more do people need (ie not want)?


    As this is open to all universal credit recipients it is entirely possible that you could have an income of as high as £45k and still be in receipt of it if you have a child. I doubt those people are making decisions about food.
  22. Steve_Betts70's avatar
    still2day16/02/2022 21:54

    Why do people always fight each other or put others down. Everyone is …Why do people always fight each other or put others down. Everyone is struggling one way or another and as long as these governments stay in power which they will, the last thing we should worry about it people saving or even finding loopholes to save a few PENNIES compared to the very people you elect who are robbing society of BILLIONS EVERY MONTH. Covid is a prime example of financial gain by the elite but here we are arguing about the micro details like it has any significance.


    Each one of those “loopholes” exploited by everyone who can adds up….and seeing as I work 5days a week and lose over a third of my salary to tax, I’d rather it wasn’t abused, by the rich OR poor
  23. Steve_Betts70's avatar
    plebbygiraffe16/02/2022 20:19

    As this is open to all universal credit recipients it is entirely possible …As this is open to all universal credit recipients it is entirely possible that you could have an income of as high as £45k and still be in receipt of it if you have a child. I doubt those people are making decisions about food.


    And your point is what? Ultimately we all know the benefits system is broken and abused by people who breed for a living, but you can’t tar everyone with the same brush? (edited)
  24. StoneFish82's avatar
    Thank you for this, HEAT!
  25. Steve_Betts70's avatar
    puddsy16/02/2022 17:45

    Like i said its value for money. 2mb would just about suffice for slow web …Like i said its value for money. 2mb would just about suffice for slow web browsing and low quality streaming. Would you pay £15 for it? Just becasue someone is poor doesn't mean they should be offered shoddy deals which barely touch their network capacity and have a greater profit margin then any of their other broadband products. 10 people taking this deal would use a total of 150Mb at a cost of £150 a month. I get £200 Mb for £22.


    I see your point, but the extra £10-£15 needed to get better is also out of reach for many. My point was that at least they’re offering a way in for people who can’t afford a conventional connection, I’m not poor bashing, I just think that as an offer, this isn’t too bad?
  26. dianneNE's avatar
    My sister recently switched to the BT essential deal from EE, she said she’s getting exactly the same speeds with BT as she did with EE. She had to pay £9.99 for the router, she had the choice of paying upfront or putting it on her bill. She pays £15 per month and received a free Alexia phone. The price includes caller display, 1571 answer service etc plus 700 free phone minutes. You get the deal for a year, so if you gain employment you can still have the contract until the year is up, if not you get the contract for another year. It’s a big saving for her as she’s unable to work due to being disabled
  27. christine.curry's avatar
    Thanks for this! It will certainly come in useful. Heat added.
    Disappointed at some of the comments 🤷🏻‍♀️ you know who you are.
  28. Steve_Betts70's avatar
    Ts189916/02/2022 17:59

    How about sky


    Cheapest deal on Sky for broadband alone looks to be £26? Cheaper with Sky Tv package, but again, if you afford full Sky, you’re not really struggling? (edited)
  29. djbooth77's avatar
    Great Stuff Switchy...

    All we need now is the govt to come up with a similar scheme for energy firms.
  30. And_JM-iak's avatar
    The number of job vacancies are on record high. And yet people climes Universal Credit :/ .
    bertieboodle's avatar
    Are they all full time well paid jobs? Considering over 40% on universal credit have jobs but still NEED to claim benefits clearly means that these jobs are not well paid.
  31. MrSwitch's avatar
    Author
    xanoas16/02/2022 16:04

    Does community fibre think this is a joke? 10Mbps?


    It's also the lowest monthly cost here at £10
  32. ukmonkey's avatar
    These price should be standard for everyone
  33. dogsballs's avatar
    that BT one. It says people on pension credit can apply. I have two elderly sisters who may gain from this so cheers for the effort
  34. bbeettaa's avatar
    puddsy16/02/2022 17:29

    I think the point was the "rest of us" aren't paying much more as you can …I think the point was the "rest of us" aren't paying much more as you can can get 10 times the speed for just a few quid more. Its not just for job searches, people on universal credit do watch tv and sometimes have children who watch it too. It's just not value for money compared to some of the other offerings. If £15 is 6% of your total monthly income then you want value for money.


    No you go without broadband and stick to freeview for the kids (edited)
  35. deleted2437831's avatar
    NOW TV 63mbs including anytime landline calls £20pm No benefits required. Seems better than some of the "benefit" special deals.
  36. jaju123's avatar
    Willy_Wonka17/02/2022 20:50

    Then all the phones would need massive/unlimited data plans so it pushes …Then all the phones would need massive/unlimited data plans so it pushes the overall price up?


    £7 a month three unlimited plan for enough people who need it is still cheaper than plans for everyone plus home broadband
  37. BenderRodriguez's avatar
    broke_with_expensivetaste16/02/2022 16:11

    Forreal they have some of the best speeds in the country but are …Forreal they have some of the best speeds in the country but are offering that


    All those websites will take fraction of a second to load on 10mbps connection.



    47304131-2EGQo.jpg
  38. Willy_Wonka's avatar
    robo98920/04/2022 14:54

    No deals for people who want full fibre 300/500/900 then?You have to be …No deals for people who want full fibre 300/500/900 then?You have to be rich to get that them.....in effect these offers just widen the divide.So they are just knocking a fiver off their bottom of the range fibre offerings.


    These are social tariffs that will satisfy basic use.

    What would you want or expect 500mbs speed on such tariffs?
  39. sully01's avatar
    If this helps just one family it's worth it. Great post. We'll done.
  40. sully01's avatar
    Some very helpful advice
    Well done Mr switch
    And all who have contributed (edited)
's avatar