Special tariff that can drop broadband bill to under £20
Broadband customers could save a significant amount on their monthly bills by checking if they could qualify for a social tariff with their provider - here's how you can check
Broadband users looking to lower their monthly bills may not be aware that they can switch providers 50 days before their current contract ends without suffering any early termination charges.
And some customers might be eligible for a social tariff with their existing provider, potentially reducing the monthly fee to less than £20. For example, Virgin Media, offers one at £12.50.
At present, more than 30 broadband social tariffs are available from providers nationwide, meaning a quick call to your supplier could significantly cut your bill before the next payment is due. The full list can be found on the Ofcom website here, reports the Daily Record.
The simplest way to find out if you're eligible for a cheaper broadband package is to contact your provider. If you're currently receiving benefits such as Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Income Support, refer to the guide at the end of this article to see which providers consider these benefits in their eligibility criteria - this applies to individuals of all ages.
Despite this, the uptake of social tariffs remains low, with only 5.1 per cent of qualifying households claiming them, suggesting that an estimated four million are missing out.
Social Tariffs
A social tariff could potentially save you around £200 annually. The most straightforward way to determine your eligibility for a social tariff is to directly contact your supplier and ask - even if you don't qualify, they might suggest other methods to lower your broadband bill.
A new system introduced in 2022 simplifies the process for broadband providers to verify eligibility by accessing a special Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) IT system - with the claimant's consent.
The DWP's system can confirm entitlement for the following benefits:
Universal Credit
Pension Credit
Income Support
Income-Based Jobseeker's Allowance
Income-Related Employment Support Allowance
Broadband benefits and social tariffs
The providers mentioned below are from Ofcom's latest guidance on social tariff broadband packages. Direct links to the broadband provider websites can be found here.
PIP
Hyperoptic - Scotland, England and Wales
KCOM
Vodafone - UK
Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
Vodafone - UK
Income Support
BT - UK
EE Basic (Now offered through BT) - UK
4th Utility - UK
Hyperoptic - Scotland, England and Wales
KCOM
NOW Broadband - UK
Sky Broadband - UK
Virgin Media - UK
Vodafone - UK
Jobseeker's allowance
BT - UK
EE Basic (Now offered through BT) - UK
4th Utility - UK
Hyperoptic - Scotland, England and Wales
KCOM
NOW Broadband - UK
Sky Broadband - UK
Virgin Media - UK
Vodafone - UK
Employment and support allowance
BT - UK
EE Basic (Now offered through BT) - UK
4th Utility - UK
Hyperoptic - Scotland, England and Wales
KCOM
NOW Broadband - UK
Sky Broadband - UK
Virgin Media - UK
Vodafone - UK
Care Leaver's Support
Hyperoptic - Scotland, England and Wales
KCOM
Housing Benefit
Hyperoptic - Scotland, England and Wales
Reduced Earnings Allowance
Vodafone - UK
Universal Credit
BT - UK
EE Basic (Now offered through BT - UK
4th Utility - UK
Hyperoptic - Scotland, England and Wales
KCOM
NOW Broadband - UK
Sky Broadband - UK
Virgin Media - UK
Vodafone - UK
Pension Credit
BT - UK
EE Basic (Now offered through BT) - UK
4th Utility - UK
Hyperoptic - Scotland, England and Wales
KCOM
NOW Broadband - UK
Sky Broadband - UK
Virgin Media - UK
Vodafone - UK
Attendance Allowance
Hyperoptic - Scotland, England and Wales
KCOM
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
3 hours ago
- Telegraph
Our welfare system needs reform, not arbitrary cuts
As the smoke settles from yet another astonishing tyre-screeching U-turn by Kier Starmer on his welfare proposals, the stark reality is that instead of significant savings, we will all now face an extra tax bill of £3bn in the autumn. This U-turn isn't surprising to me because their proposal was a classic panicky short-term Treasury driven cut but in no way genuine reform. I even doubt that the savings would in the longer term have materialised. This is because I believe they were going at it the wrong way. The Covid lockdowns blasted a hole in our welfare system. Since 2020, the number of households where no one has ever worked has doubled. Economic inactivity due to long-term sickness has risen by 800,000. And taxpayers today are shelling out an extra £30 billion every year on sickness and disability benefits, on top of an already bulging bill. Lockdown reversed much of the progress we had made under the transformations of Universal Credit, in part relaxing eligibility rules and assessments for benefits, a leniency that astonishingly continues to this day. But also expanding the 'claim culture', albeit inadvertently, through schemes like furlough. It is easy to forget that by 2019 we had the lowest rate of workless households on record. Clearly, we have to get a grip. But solving this problem will take thought, courage and time. The Government's proposals are rushed in order to be 'scored' by the OBR in time for the Spring Statement. In a panic, the Treasury opted to simply top-slice spending by raising the threshold for disability benefits across the board. This leads to some deeply concerning outcomes. According to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), three in four Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants with arthritis, two in three with cardiovascular disease, and even a third with cancer could lose support. Yet there is another way, one which focuses on the root causes of the crisis. But that must start with a grown-up conversation about mental health. Monthly PIP claims have more than doubled, driven in large part by a threefold increase in people citing mental health conditions. Meanwhile the majority of people on Universal Credit receiving health-related top-ups now also report poor mental health. Tragically, it is disproportionately young people fuelling this rise, those most likely to suffer the mental and emotional consequences of being out of work. And yet it is the system itself that is driving worklessness and dependency. Of course, PIP eligibility does not require someone to be out of work. Yet five in six recipients are. Taken in the round, once you tot up all the various benefits, the system has tilted towards incentivising ill health rather than supporting recovery. There is another way. New research from the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) shows that better targeting of mental health benefits – focusing help to those with more serious conditions – could save the Government up to £9 billion. A more humane and sustainable approach to reform would recognise that, for many people with anxiety or depression, ensuring proper treatment is much more compassionate than parking them on benefits and slamming the door to an independent life. First, the government could use the savings to fund a £1 billion investment in NHS Talking Therapies, expanding 1.5 million additional treatment courses. CSJ polling also finds that nearly half the public believe people with less severe conditions should be supported through programmes and services, compared to one in five saying cash. Second, the Government should accelerate the rollout of Universal Support, originally launched by the last Conservative government and now rebranded as Connect to Work. This scheme works with the local charities and community organisations best placed to help people who are furthest from the workforce. These inspirational people are already on the ground, collaborating with employers to tackle the most difficult barriers to work, whether family breakdown, debt, addiction, and poor health. Finally, for the first time, sickness benefit is being brought into Universal Credit as I had designed originally. The DWP now has powerful tools Universal Credit provides. The NHS has made it clear that for depression and anxiety, the largest new claimant group, work is a health treatment. Yet far too many people were left on sickness benefit with no meaningful contact. Many who were off work for health reasons received no time with a work coach at all. Now under Universal credit that can change. The system should be doing more – using AI to free up work coach time – to increase the contact time with claimants and not leaving them parked on the sidelines. Our welfare system needs reform, not arbitrary cuts. I understand the pressure Liz Kendall is under. But short-term fixes risk doing lasting damage. We need a system that treats people with compassion while actively supporting them to recover and return to work. That's how to reduce dependency, control costs, and rebuild lives.
South Wales Guardian
6 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Warnings of tax rises after Downing Street welfare U-turn
The Prime Minister said that the concessions strike 'the right balance', but think tanks have warned that the changes announced on Friday morning have made Rachel Reeves' 'already difficult budget balancing act that much harder'. Downing Street declined to rule out the possibility of increases in the autumn, telling reporters on Friday that 'tax decisions are set out at fiscal events'.The concessions on offer include protecting personal independence payments (Pip) for all existing claimants, while all existing recipients of the health element of Universal Credit will have their incomes protected in real terms. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said on Friday that the changes make tax rises in the budget expected in the autumn more likely. Associate director Tom Waters said: 'These changes more than halve the saving of the package of reforms as a whole, making the Chancellor's already difficult budget balancing act that much harder.' Ruth Curtice, chief executive at the Resolution Foundation, said that 'the concessions aren't cheap, costing as much as £3 billion and more than halving the medium-term savings from the overall set of reforms announced just three months ago'. She added: 'This adds to the already mounting pressure to deliver fresh consolidation in the budget this autumn.' The Resolution Foundation noted that extending a freeze in personal tax threshold by one year would save '£4 billion a year'. Asked about how the climbdown would be funded, Downing Street said on Friday that 'There'll be no permanent increase in borrowing, as is standard. 'We'll set out how this will be funded at the budget, alongside a full economic and fiscal forecast in the autumn, in the usual way.' Asked whether they could say there would be no tax rises, a Number 10 spokesman said: 'As ever, as is a long-standing principle, tax decisions are set out at fiscal events.' Some 126 Labour backbenchers had signed an amendment that would have halted the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill in its tracks when it faces its first Commons hurdle on July 1. The list of Labour MPs putting their name to the amendment had been growing throughout the week, as Downing Street said that they would be pressing on with next week's vote. After the late-night U-turn, Sir Keir said that 'the most important thing is that we can make the reform we need'. 'We talked to colleagues, who've made powerful representations, as a result of which we've got a package which I think will work, we can get it right,' he added. 'For me, getting that package adjusted in that way is the right thing to do, it means it's the right balance, it's common sense that we can now get on with it.' While leading rebels believe the concessions are likely to be enough to win over a majority, some remain opposed to the plans in their current form. Dr Simon Opher, who represents Stroud, said in a statement that he is glad the Government 'are listening', but that the changes 'do not tackle the eligibility issues that are at the heart of many of the problems with Pip'. 'The Bill should be scrapped and we should start again and put the needs of disabled people at the centre of the process,' he said. It is also understood that talks are under way over rebel attempts to lay another amendment next week as they seek to delay the plans, as reported by The Guardian. The fallout also threatens to cause lasting damage, with some backbenchers having called for a reset of relations between Number 10 and the parliamentary party. Speaking to the PA news agency, a number of Labour backbenchers expressed deeper frustration with how Downing Street has handled its backbenchers since last year's election. The Government's original package had restricted eligibility for Pip, the main disability payment in England, as well as cutting the health-related element of universal credit. Existing recipients were to be given a 13-week phase-out period of financial support in an earlier move that was seen as a bid to head off opposition. Now, the changes to Pip will be implemented in November 2026 and apply to new claimants only, while all existing recipients of the health element of universal credit will have their incomes protected in real terms. The concessions on Pip alone protect some 370,000 people currently receiving the allowance who were set to lose out following reassessment.
The National
13 hours ago
- The National
Mhairi Black: MPs swayed by Keir Starmer's U-turn are not left wing
Events across the globe this week have served as a timely reminder that change is possible when people organise, even if it is bit by bit. At the time of writing, Keir Starmer had just announced a partial climbdown on his planned disability benefit cuts after an organised rebellion by numerous Labour MPs proved to be enough to potentially stop the legislation passing through Parliament. Originally, Starmer planned to change who would qualify for certain disability and sickness benefits, in the hopes of saving £5 billion a year by 2030. UK Prime Minister Keir StarmerIn a last-ditch attempt to halt any rebellion, Labour announced that current claimants will continue to receive the Personal Independence Payment (PIP), as will recipients of the health element of Universal Credit. The planned changes will now only affect new claimants. This concession is a test for all rebelling Labour MPs because what Starmer is effectively saying is that even if you share the same disability as someone currently receiving PIP – and you experience all the same disadvantages and difficulties – because you made a claim after an arbitrary date, you will not receive any of the support your peers enjoy. Actually, 'enjoy' is too strong a word considering the maximum amount a person will receive via PIP is £187.45 per week. Anyone swayed by the argument, 'I won't take support away from existing disabled people but future disabled people are fair game,' cannot claim to be a left-wing MP. READ MORE: Labour's 'minor' climbdown will leave benefits system 'woefully inadequate' It is worth noting that Starmer has not made these (pathetic) concessions out of the goodness of his heart, or because he realises it is abhorrent to cut support for those with disabilities during a cost of living crisis – especially when there are billionaires who don't pay the proper tax. He has suggested this concession in order to appear reasonable and lessen the embarrassment of potentially being defeated by his own MPs. People in power never concede or compromise unless they are put in a position where it is in their best interests to do so. But although we have yet to see how far they are willing to take it, Labour MPs have at this moment successfully banded together in numbers to resist the right-wing changes Starmer wants. Throughout history, it is only when people band together in numbers to defy authority that authority even thinks about changing. This week we saw billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos forced to relocate his wedding in Venice after protesters organised themselves to put pressure on him. A sign in St Mark's Square read: 'If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more tax'. A banner opposing Jeff Bezos in St Mark's Square. Image: GreenpeaceTommaso Cacciari, from a group called No Space For Bezos, put it nicely saying: 'We're just citizens who started organising and we managed to move one of the most powerful people in the world – and all the billionaires – out of the city." In the US, we saw the New York mayoral Democratic primary won by unknown socialist Zohran Mamdani. As Donald Trump's fascism runs rampant, the very corporate Democrats have so far failed to provide any kind of leadership in challenging him and his minions. Mamdani's campaign showed the Democratic leadership how it is done. He campaigned unapologetically on a plan for free buses, free childcare, new affordable apartments and a higher minimum wage – all paid for by new taxes on the rich – and he won handsomely. The world over, we are seeing that people are growing impatient waiting for social justice. Impatient that their quality of life is rapidly deteriorating while the richest continue to grow their wealth and influence. READ MORE: Wind, words, and willpower: Inside a pivotal week on Skye's energy future The UK is no different. Child poverty is rising, as is poverty overall, and the gap between the richest and the poorest is widening. Yet political parties are too afraid to act on their promises of change. There is a depressing timidness from political leaders to challenge those hoarding obscene amounts of wealth. This has created a vacuum which the likes of Nigel Farage can seize on. Rather than have the masses come after his wealth, he seeks to redirect our attention and anger to trans people, to immigrants, to disabled people and those who are unemployed. Right-wing populism unironically claims to answer the very problems created by right-wing policies in the first place. Despite this, a YouGov poll predicted Reform UK would win the most seats in a General Election, of which three would be in Scotland. READ MORE: Rod Stewart comes out in support of Reform UK and Nigel Farage I am reminded of a fable I once read where in ancient times a suggestion was made that the lords (who held all power and wealth) should wear red, and the peasants should all wear white so it was easy to distinguish who was who. The plans fell through the moment someone pointed out that if the peasants all wore the same thing, they might well realise how many of them there were compared to the few lords hoarding power and wealth. Now more than ever we need progressives and political parties to get real about the threat that is spreading, and realise the power we hold when we band together to make a stand.
