Tuesday, November 12, 2024

Broadband social tariffs provide the cheapest UK broadband

Broadband social tariffs from UK ISP's provide cheaper broadband for low income households

Cheaper UK broadband deals are now available through broadband social tariffs. The cheapest internet and broadband on a social tariff starts from just £12.50 per month (Community Fibre & Virgin Media). Other internet services have also launched low cost broadband through similar social tariffs.

BT, Vodafone, Virgin Media & TalkTalk have nationally available social tariffs for broadband. Other regional services also offering social tariffs include Community Fibre, Air Broadband compare the latest broadband social tariffs here…

On universal credit? You could save with a broadband social tariff

Most of the UK’s biggest broadband providers now offer long-term low fixed rate prices on ‘social tariffs’. Broadband social tariffs are usually only available to families or households where bill payers receive one or more of the following: jobseeker’s allowance or universal credit, employment and support allowance, disability allowance, pension credit or personal independence payments.

Vodafone Essentials Broadband

£20/month Upto 73Mbps speed, broadband & line

  • – 12 month contract, must apply to renew annually.
  • – No in contract price rises.
  • – Only available to bill payers on jobseeker’s allowance, universal credit, employment and support allowance, disability allowance, pension credits or personal independence payments.
  • Available in Openreach postcodes 95% of the UK 
BT Broadband logo

BT Home Essentials Broadband

£15/month 35MB average speed, broadband & line
(*no income households)
£20/month 35MB average speed, broadband & line
(*low income households)

  • – 12 months contract, must apply & renew annually.
  • – No in contract price rises.
  • Only available to bill payers on jobseeker’s allowance, universal credit, employment and support allowance, disability allowance, pension credits or personal independence payments.
  • Available in Openreach postcodes 95% of the UK 
Virgin Media logo

Virgin Media Essential Broadband
£12.50/month 15MB average speed, broadband & line

Essential Plus Broadband
£20/month 54MB average speed, broadband & line

  • – 30 Day rolling contract, must apply & renew annually.
  • Only available to bill payers on jobseeker’s allowance, universal credit, employment and support allowance, disability allowance, pension credits or personal independence payments.
  • Only available in Virgin Fibre locations.
Virgin Media logo

Virgin Media Essential Plus Broadband

£20/month 54MB average speed, broadband & line

  • – 30 Day rolling contract, must apply & renew annually.
  • Only available to bill payers on jobseeker’s allowance, universal credit, employment and support allowance, disability allowance, pension credits or personal independence payments.
  • Only available in Virgin Fibre locations.
Community Fibre Logo

Essential 35MB Broadband

£12.50/month 35Mb average speed, no line rental, no set up fee.

  • – 12 month contract, must apply to renew annually.
  • – No in contract pricee rises.
  • Only available to bill payers on jobseeker’s allowance, universal credit, employment and support allowance, disability allowance, pension credits or personal independence payments.
  • Only available across London postcodes.
Air Broadband logo

Air Support Broadband

£20/month 100Mb average speed, no line

  • – 12 month contract, must apply to renew annually.
  • Only available to bill payers on jobseeker’s allowance, universal credit, employment and support allowance, disability allowance, pension credits or personal independence payments.
  • Only available in Air Fibre locations (approximately 40% of the UK).

Who provides the cheapest broadband in the UK?

UK broadband offers change regularly, we have listed some of the cheapest nationally available broadband deals (those available in most postcodes across the UK) below.

The best broadband deals we have found are with Shell Broadband starting at £17.99 per month for 11Mbps speed (18 month contract, includes line rental, no connection fee), Shell offer a faster 35 Mbps average speed plan at £22.99 per month and a 67 Mbps average speed at £24.99 per month.

If you have a Fibre to the premises connection Hyperoptic and Trooli have super-fast deals from less than £18 per month.

Check out some of the cheapest UK broadband offers from NOW and other broadband providers here.

UK Broadband for under £25 per month

Don’t worry if you don’t qualify for a broadband social tariff, you could still find a cheaper broadband deal.

You can still get nationally available broadband for less than £25 per month, this includes broadband deals with popular UK broadband providers like NOW, Onestream, & Vodafone.

If you live in a city or town with full fibre connections we recommend you check fibre broadband availability in your area. We’ve found super-fast broadband deals for under £20 per month with Gigaclear, Community Fibre & Hyperoptic.


Full Fibre 75 (69 – 75 Mbs)  £23
Full Fibre 100 (100 – 108 Mbs)  £25


24 month contract
£0 setup/activation 


Fibre 40 (35 – 38 Mbps) £19 
Fibre 80 (67 – 70 Mbps)  £20


24 month contract
£4.95 setup/activation 


Fibre 75 (69 – 75 Mbs) £24


24 month contract
£0 setup/activation 

(Source: WOW Compare Broadband – Prices updated November 2024) 
* Quoted speeds are estimated download speeds, prices may be subject to a one-off router delivery charge, plus connection fee if there is no existing line. Prices may increase each April, and at the end of the contract period.
** Home phone and calls packages not included but can be added if needed. 

Don't qualify for broadband social tariffs - Find cheaper broadband here!

Don’t worry you don’t qualify for broadband social tariffs, you could still find a cheaper broadband deal. Compare many of the UKs cheapest broadband deals below:
Loading…

Broadband Social Tariffs FAQs

Broadband is considered an essential home service and broadband providers have been encouraged to offer no-frills, ‘social broadband tariffs’ to provide affordable broadband for financially vulnerable households. Social tariffs offer discounted broadband for low income households where bill payers are on universal credit or another eligible state benefit.

Ofcom estimates 4.2 million households in the UK could save around £144 a year. Yet less than 1.5% of eligible households have registered for a broadband social tariff.

You can apply for a social tariff with participating broadband providers if you receive one or more of the following: 

Jobseeker’s allowance, universal credit, employment and support allowance, disability allowance, pension credits or personal independence payment. 

Individual broadband providers have different criteria for their social tariffs. Check to see which broadband social tariffs you’re eligible for, before you sign up. 

If you qualify for a social tariff you will need to apply directly with your preferred broadband service. Most broadband providers require some proof of eligibility for discounted social tariffs before applications are accepted. 

Once your application has been accepted your switch (if you are changing to a new provider), should take a couple of weeks maximum. If you are switching to a social tariff with your existing broadband provider, service changes will be much quicker. 

PackagePriceAverage speedAvailability
4th Utility Social Tariff£13.99 a month30 Mb/sEngland
BT Home Essentials£15 a month36 Mb/sUK
BT Home Essentials Unlimited£20 a month36 Mb/sUK
Community Fibre Essential£12.50 a month35 Mb/sEngland (London)
Connect Fibre Essentials£20 per month50 Mb/sEngland (Cambridgeshire, Essex, Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire and Derbyshire)
Connect Fibre Essentials£25 per month150 Mb/sEngland (Cambridgeshire, Essex, Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire and Derbyshire)
Country Connect Social Tariff£15 a month50 Mb/sWales (Newport)
County Broadband Essential£15 per month15 Mb/sEngland (East of England)
EE Basics£12 a month25 Mb/sUK
Fibrus Essential Fibre£14.99 a month50 Mb/sNorthern Ireland and Cumbria
G.Network Essential Fibre£15 a month50 Mb/sEngland (London)
Grayshott Gigabit Connect£19 a month100 Mb/sEngland
Hey!Broadband Everyday Fibre£16 per month100 Mb/sEngland (South East England)
Hyperoptic Fair Fibre 50£15 a month50 Mb/sEngland, Scotland, Wales
Hyperoptic Fair Fibre 150£20 a month150 Mb/sEngland, Scotland, Wales
KCOM Full Fibre Flex£14.99 a month30 Mb/sEngland (Hull)
Lightning Fibre Social Tariff£15 a month50 Mb/sEngland (East Sussex and Kent)
Lothian Broadband Social Tariff£19.99 a month100 Mb/sScotland (Lothian)
NOW Broadband Basics£20 a month36 Mb/sUK
Quickline Social Tariff£16.50 a month100  Mb/sEngland (Yorkshire and Lincolnshire)
RunFibre social tariff£20 a month100 Mb/sEngland (South Gloucestershire)
   UK
   UK
Sky Broadband Basics£20 a month36 Mb/sUK
SMARTY Social Tariff£12 a month4G/5GUK
Truespeed Basic£20 a month30 Mb/sEngland (South West)
Virgin Media Essential£12.50 a month15 Mb/sUK
Virgin Media Essential Plus£20 a month54 Mb/sUK
Vodafone Fibre 2 Essential£20 per month73 Mb/sUK
VOXI For Now£10 a month4G/5GUK
Wildanet Helping Hand Social£20 a month30-100 Mb/sEngland (Cornwall and Devon)
WightFibre Essential£19.95 a month100 Mb/sEngland (Isle of Wight)
YouFibre Social Tariff£15 a month50 Mb/sUK (various locations)

 

Help friends and family get faster, cheaper broadband – share this page…

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.