DWP Universal Credit and other benefit claimants can cut broadband bills to £12.50 a month

Benefit claimants are being urged to check if they are eligible for a cheaper broadband deal through a social tariff.

A broadband social tariff can reduce bills to as little as £12.50 per month and could bring savings of around £200 each year. The quickest way to find out if you might qualify for a social tariff is to contact your supplier directly and ask - even if you do not qualify, they may be able to offer other ways to reduce your broadband bill.

State Pensioners on a low income claiming Pension Credit, or those claiming benefits such as Universal Credit, Attendance Allowance, Income Support, Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) may be able to switch to a social tariff, reports the Daily Record. A full list of participating providers can be found on the Ofcom website here.

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A system put in place in 2022 makes it quicker for broadband providers' to check eligibility by accessing a special Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) IT system - with the claimant's permission.

Benefits the DWP’s system will be able to verify entitlement for are:

• Universal Credit

• Pension Credit

• Income Support

• Income-Based Jobseeker’s Allowance

• Income-Related Employment Support Allowance

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Benefits and social tariff for broadband

The providers listed below are taken from the latest guidance on social tariff broadband packages from Ofcom. You can get direct links to the broadband provider websites here. The broadband providers listed may not be available in your area, we’ve marked those that cover the entire UK as ‘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

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) / Adult Disability Payment (ADP)

• 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