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 @stargatefan
ispreview.co.uk/ind…tml
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:
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:
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:
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?
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.
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.
*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
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 @stargatefan
ispreview.co.uk/ind…tml
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)
- Employment and Support Allowance
(Eligibility rules apply) - Jobseeker’s Allowance
(Eligibility rules apply) - Income Support
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)
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
123 Comments
sorted byOn 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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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)
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)?
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)
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.
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.
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.
🏻
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.
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
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)
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?
Disappointed at some of the comments 🤷🏻♀️ you know who you are.
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)
It's also the lowest monthly cost here at £10
No you go without broadband and stick to freeview for the kids (edited)
£7 a month three unlimited plan for enough people who need it is still cheaper than plans for everyone plus home broadband
These are social tariffs that will satisfy basic use.
What would you want or expect 500mbs speed on such tariffs?
Well done Mr switch
And all who have contributed (edited)
All we need now is the govt to come up with a similar scheme for energy firms.