Who qualifies for a broadband social tariff?

Each provider names its own list, quoted on its row above; Universal Credit and Pension Credit appear on 14 and 14 of the 16 tariffs. Most providers check the claim with the Department for Work and Pensions and ask that the account holder be the person receiving the benefit.

Can I switch to a social tariff mid-contract?

Virgin Media, Hyperoptic, KCOM, BT, WightFibre, Vodafone and NOW Broadband say on their pages that existing customers can move to the social tariff; Virgin Media's page says there is no exit fee for its current contract when doing so. Ask the provider: not every page says.

Where a page says so it is quoted on the row: Sky and Vodafone state no price increase during the contract; Virgin Media says the price returns to the standard rate if the benefit stops; BT's page says a Home Essentials plan renews for 12 months while still eligible. A rolling 30-day tariff can change on 30 days' notice, which the pages do not rule out.

OpenStreamPublicly available pricing data · United Kingdom

United Kingdom · broadband · Prices checked 6 November 2026 · re-read daily

UK broadband social tariffs: the cheaper plans for households on benefits

16 broadband social tariffs from 11 UK providers are priced here, each read from the provider's own page on 2026-11-06: the cheapest is Virgin Media Essential Broadband at £12.50 a month (15/2 Mbps (average download speed), rolling 30-day contract), for households on Universal Credit, Pension Credit and Income Support and other named benefits.

A social tariff is a cheaper plan sold only to households receiving named benefits, usually on a rolling or short contract with no exit fee and, on most, no mid-contract rise. Each row quotes its provider's page: the price, the speed as the page states it, the benefits it names and who may apply. Ofcom keeps a directory of social tariffs; the figures here come from each provider's own social-tariff page. These plans never enter the main ranking at /uk, because a price most readers cannot have is not "the cheapest broadband".

Check your postcode

See where it is and which of these prices a stated area limit leaves out.

Whether a network reaches your door is not open data: ask the provider or Ofcom's coverage checker.

The plans behind it

UK broadband · read from each provider's own page on 2026-11-06, with the page linked on each row.

1.Virgin Media · Essential Broadband
£12.50 a month, rolling 30-day contract
15/2 Mbps (average download speed) · for households on: Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income-based Employment and Support Allowance · new or existing account holders who pass an eligibility check with the Department for Work and Pensions, repeated every 12 months · the page says the monthly cost rises to the standard price if you stop receiving the benefit; free setup
Go to Virgin Media
2.Community Fibre · Essential
£12.50 a month, 12-month contract
speed not stated on the page · for households on: none: their 2023 press page says the tariff is available to anyone, with no proof of benefits asked · residents on their London network · London only
£12.50 a month on a 12-month contract is the figure on their homepage read on 2026-11-06; the speed is not stated there (their press page of 13 September 2023 said 35 Mbps symmetrical, which may since have changed, so no speed is shown)
Go to Community Fibre
3.Hyperoptic · Fair Fibre Plan 150Mb
£13.00 a month, monthly rolling, 30 days' notice
150 Mbps (plan speed) · for households on: income-based Employment and Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Income Support, Pension Credit, Universal Credit, Attendance Allowance, Care Leavers' Support, Housing Benefit, Personal Independence Payment · new and existing customers at qualifying locations · free activation; the plan cannot be combined with any other Hyperoptic offer · selected locations only
Go to Hyperoptic
4.4th Utility · Social tariff
£13.99 a month, 30-day rolling contract
30 Mbps (average download speed) · for households on: Universal Credit, Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit · low-income households in a building the network serves; proof may be asked for · selected locations only
full fibre; the page says no credit checks
Go to 4th Utility
5.KCOM · Full Fibre Flex
£14.99 a month, 30-day rolling contract
30/30 Mbps (plan speed) · for households on: Income Support, Pension Credit, Jobseeker's Allowance, Housing Benefit, Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance, Universal Credit with zero earnings, Employment and Support Allowance (income related), Disability Living Allowance, care-home residents and Lifeline customers referred by social services, care leavers · new or existing KCOM customers, with proof of eligibility; periodic re-checks · prices inclusive of VAT; no early termination charges · Hull and East Yorkshire
Go to KCOM
6.B4RN · Social Tariff
£15.00 a month, monthly
1000/1000 Mbps (plan speed) · for households on: Council Tax Support · any customer who can demonstrate they receive Council Tax Support · B4RN's own rural network
a community benefit society; service charges inclusive of VAT
Go to B4RN
7.BT · Home Essentials
£16.50 a month, from, 12-month contract, cancel any time without early exit fees
speed not stated on the page · for households on: Universal Credit (all claimants), Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit), Employment and Support Allowance, Jobseeker's Allowance, Income Support · new BT customers and existing BT, EE and Plusnet customers; National Insurance number needed for the check, repeated at 12 months · fibre plans start from £16.50 with no set-up fees; after 12 months the plan renews for another 12 if still eligible, otherwise moves to the equivalent standard package, whose price rises by £4 each 31 March
speed is not stated on the page read; a Home Essentials No Income plan has further conditions
Go to BT
8.Hyperoptic · Fair Fibre Plan 500Mb
£17.00 a month, monthly rolling, 30 days' notice
500 Mbps (plan speed) · for households on: income-based Employment and Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Income Support, Pension Credit, Universal Credit, Attendance Allowance, Care Leavers' Support, Housing Benefit, Personal Independence Payment · new and existing customers at qualifying locations · free activation · selected locations only
Go to Hyperoptic
9.Hyperoptic · Fair Fibre Plan 1Gb
£19.00 a month, monthly rolling, 30 days' notice
1000 Mbps (plan speed) · for households on: income-based Employment and Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Income Support, Pension Credit, Universal Credit, Attendance Allowance, Care Leavers' Support, Housing Benefit, Personal Independence Payment · new and existing customers at qualifying locations · free activation · selected locations only
Go to Hyperoptic
10.WightFibre · Essential Broadband (Full-Fibre 100)
£19.95 a month, monthly
100/100 Mbps (plan speed) · for households on: Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Employment and Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance · new or existing customers; only the person claiming the benefit can apply; checked every month · if no longer eligible, moved to their cheapest standard tariff at the time · Isle of Wight
Go to WightFibre
11.KCOM · Full Fibre Flex+
£19.99 a month, 30-day rolling contract
50/50 Mbps (plan speed) · for households on: Income Support, Pension Credit, Jobseeker's Allowance, Housing Benefit, Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance, Universal Credit, Reduced Earnings Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance (income related), Disability Living Allowance, care-home residents and Lifeline customers referred by social services, care leavers · new or existing KCOM customers, with proof of eligibility; Universal Credit with reduced earnings qualifies for Flex+ only · prices inclusive of VAT; no early termination charges · Hull and East Yorkshire
Go to KCOM
12.Vodafone · Essentials Broadband
£20.00 a month, 12-month contract, no early termination fee
up to 80 Mbps · for households on: Universal Credit, Jobseeker's Allowance, Pension Credit, Employment Support Allowance, Income Support, Reduced Earnings Allowance, Personal Independence Payments, Disability Allowance · new customers and existing Fibre 1 or Fibre 2 customers on a listed benefit; register online, eligibility checked by email · no in-contract price increase and no set-up costs; after 12 months, if no action is taken, the page says the price increases to £25
sold as the Fibre 2 Essentials plan; full fibre where available
Go to Vodafone
13.Virgin Media · Essential Broadband Plus
£20.00 a month, rolling 30-day contract
54/5 Mbps (average download speed) · for households on: Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income-based Employment and Support Allowance · new or existing account holders who pass an eligibility check with the Department for Work and Pensions, repeated every 12 months · the page says the monthly cost rises to the standard price if you stop receiving the benefit; free setup
the same price with 150+ TV channels on their Stream box is sold as Essential Broadband Plus with Flex
Go to Virgin Media
14.NOW Broadband · Broadband Basics (Fab Fibre)
£20.00 a month, ongoing monthly contract, 31 days' notice
36 Mbps (average download speed) · for households on: Universal Credit, Pension Credit, income-based Employment and Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Income Support · existing NOW Broadband members only, in the account holder's name; new customers are pointed to Sky's Basics tariff · Brilliant Broadband at £18 a month where Fab Fibre is not available; Pay as you Use calls included at no monthly charge
Go to NOW Broadband
15.Sky · Broadband Basics (Superfast 35 or Essentials Plus)
£20.00 a month, 24-month contract, no early termination charges
35 Mbps (plan speed) · for households on: Universal Credit, Pension Credit, income-based Employment and Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Income Support · the Sky account holder, named on the benefit statement; checked with the Department for Work and Pensions; apply by phone · the page says no price increase during the contract; after 24 months the price returns to the standard rate
Essentials Plus is the copper option where fibre is not available
Go to Sky
16.Sky · Broadband Basics (Full Fibre 75 or Superfast 80)
£24.00 a month, 24-month contract, no early termination charges
75 Mbps (plan speed) · for households on: Universal Credit, Pension Credit, income-based Employment and Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Income Support · the Sky account holder, named on the benefit statement; checked with the Department for Work and Pensions; apply by phone · the page says no price increase during the contract; after 24 months the price returns to the standard rate
Superfast 80 is the part-fibre option at the same price
Go to Sky