Social tariff
broadband.
Social tariff broadband costs £12.50 to £25 a month at the 16 UK providers we list, if you get Universal Credit, Pension Credit or another qualifying benefit, checked 26 October 2026.
The table lists every tariff we compare, with who can get it and where it's sold, and the guides by benefit explain how to apply.
Edited by Ade·UPDATED 26 OCT 2026Broadband social tariffs compared
| Provider and tariff | Price a month | Speed | Who can get it | Where |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virgin MediaEssential Broadband | £12.50 | 15 Mbps | Universal Credit, Pension Credit, ESA, JSA or Income Support | Virgin Media areas only |
| Community FibreEssential 35 | £12.50 | 35 Mbps | Anyone, no benefit neededNew customers only. | London only |
| HyperopticFair Fibre 150 | £13 | 150 Mbps | Universal Credit, Pension Credit, PIP, ESA, JSA, Income Support, Attendance Allowance, Housing Benefit or care leaver supportPIP, Attendance Allowance, Housing Benefit and care leaver support need proof. | Hyperoptic buildings only |
| 4th UtilitySocial Tariff | £13.99 | 30 Mbps | Universal Credit, Pension Credit, ESA, JSA or Income SupportYour building must qualify. | 4th Utility buildings only |
| FibrusFull Fibre Essential | £14.99 | 50 Mbps | Universal Credit, Pension Credit, ESA, JSA or Income Support | Northern Ireland and Cumbria only |
| BTHome Essentials Unlimited Broadband | £15 | 16 Mbps | Universal Credit, Pension Credit, ESA, JSA or Income SupportOnly where fibre isn’t available. Pension Credit counts only with Guarantee Credit. | Most of the UK |
| toobessentials | £15 | 50 Mbps | Universal Credit, Pension Credit, ESA, JSA or Income Support | toob towns only |
| BTHome Essentials No Income | £16.50 | 36 Mbps | Universal CreditOnly if nobody in your home earns from work. | Most of the UK |
| QuicklineSocial Tariff | £16.50 | 100 Mbps | Universal Credit, Pension Credit, PIP, ESA, JSA, Income Support, Attendance Allowance, Housing Benefit or care leaver supportUniversal Credit counts only with no earnings. | Quickline areas only |
| YouFibreYou 50 | £16.99 | 50 Mbps | Universal Credit, Pension Credit, PIP, JSA, Income Support, Attendance Allowance or Housing Benefit | YouFibre areas only |
| HyperopticFair Fibre 500 | £17 | 500 Mbps | Universal Credit, Pension Credit, PIP, ESA, JSA, Income Support, Attendance Allowance, Housing Benefit or care leaver supportPIP, Attendance Allowance, Housing Benefit and care leaver support need proof. | Hyperoptic buildings only |
| NOWBrilliant Broadband on Basics | £18 | Not given | Universal Credit, Pension Credit, ESA, JSA or Income SupportExisting NOW customers only. Only where fibre isn’t available. | Most of the UK |
| Hey BroadbandEveryday Fibre | £19 | 100 Mbps | Universal Credit, Pension Credit, PIP, ESA, JSA, Income Support, Attendance Allowance, Housing Benefit or care leaver support | Hey Broadband areas only |
| WightFibreEssential Broadband | £19.95 | 100 Mbps | Universal Credit, Pension Credit, ESA, JSA or Income Support | Isle of Wight only |
| Virgin MediaEssential Broadband Plus | £20 | 54 Mbps | Universal Credit, Pension Credit, ESA, JSA or Income Support | Virgin Media areas only |
| VodafoneEssentials Broadband | £20 | 73 Mbps | Universal Credit, Pension Credit, PIP, DLA, ESA, JSA or Income Support | Most of the UK |
| SkyBroadband Basics Superfast 35 | £20 | 35 Mbps | Universal Credit, Pension Credit, ESA, JSA or Income SupportExisting Sky customers only. | Most of the UK |
| SkyBroadband Basics Essential Plus | £20 | Not given | Universal Credit, Pension Credit, ESA, JSA or Income SupportExisting Sky customers only. Only where fibre isn’t available. | Most of the UK |
| NOWBroadband Basics | £20 | 36 Mbps | Universal Credit, Pension Credit, ESA, JSA or Income SupportExisting NOW customers only. | Most of the UK |
| HyperopticFair Fibre 1Gb | £20 | 1 Gbps | Universal Credit, Pension Credit, PIP, ESA, JSA, Income Support, Attendance Allowance, Housing Benefit or care leaver supportPIP, Attendance Allowance, Housing Benefit and care leaver support need proof. | Hyperoptic buildings only |
| Connect FibreEssentials | £20 | 150 Mbps | Universal Credit, Pension Credit, PIP, DLA, ESA, JSA, Income Support, Attendance Allowance, Housing Benefit or care leaver support | Connect Fibre areas only |
| TruespeedBasic | £20 | 30 Mbps | Universal Credit, Pension Credit, PIP, ESA, JSA, Income Support, Attendance Allowance, Housing Benefit or care leaver support | Truespeed areas only |
| BTHome Essentials Fibre Essential | £22 | 36 Mbps | Universal Credit, Pension Credit, ESA, JSA or Income SupportPension Credit counts only with Guarantee Credit. | Most of the UK |
| SkyBroadband Basics Full Fibre 75 | £24 | 75 Mbps | Universal Credit, Pension Credit, ESA, JSA or Income SupportExisting Sky customers only. | Most of the UK |
| SkyBroadband Basics Superfast 80 | £24 | Not given | Universal Credit, Pension Credit, ESA, JSA or Income SupportExisting Sky customers only. | Most of the UK |
| BTHome Essentials Fibre 2 | £25 | 67 Mbps | Universal Credit, Pension Credit, ESA, JSA or Income SupportPension Credit counts only with Guarantee Credit. | Most of the UK |
| NOWPowered by Sky Basics | Not published | Not given | Universal Credit, Pension Credit, ESA, JSA or Income SupportOpen to new customers. For the price, call Sky on 0333 759 5197. | Most of the UK |
Prices and rules from each provider’s own page, checked 26 October 2026. Ofcom’s list also has a few small regional providers we don’t compare. See which reach your address
Questions
Social tariff questions
Which broadband social tariffs accept PIP?
Hyperoptic, Quickline, YouFibre, Hey Broadband, Vodafone, Connect Fibre and Truespeed take PIP on their social tariffs, checked 26 October 2026. BT, Sky, NOW and Virgin Media don't, so PIP on its own won't get you theirs. Community Fibre Essential 35 needs no benefit at all (London only).
Can I get a social tariff on Universal Credit?
Yes. Every social tariff we list accepts Universal Credit, from £12.50 a month for Virgin Media Essential Broadband (Virgin Media areas only), checked 26 October 2026. BT Home Essentials No Income and Quickline Social Tariff take it only when there are no earnings from work.
Can I switch to a social tariff in the middle of a contract?
Yes, if it's your own provider's. Ofcom's rules let you move onto your provider's social tariff at any time with no exit fee. Moving to another provider's tariff mid-contract isn't guaranteed to be free: Ofcom says your provider might let you leave without a penalty, but it doesn't have to.
Does Sky have a social tariff?
Yes. Sky’s social tariff, Broadband Basics, costs £20 to £24 a month, for existing customers, if you get Universal Credit, Pension Credit, ESA, JSA or Income Support, checked 26 October 2026. Apply on sky.com.
Does TalkTalk have a social tariff?
No. TalkTalk doesn't sell a broadband social tariff, and it isn't on Ofcom's list of them, checked 26 October 2026. Most TalkTalk homes can get BT's or Vodafone's social tariff instead, over the same Openreach lines. If you're still in a TalkTalk contract, ask whether it will let you leave early without a fee.
Do EE and Plusnet have a social tariff?
Not for broadband. BT says existing EE and Plusnet customers who are eligible for BT Home Essentials can switch over to it for no extra charge, checked 26 October 2026. The EE Basics plan on Ofcom's list is a mobile SIM plan, not broadband.
Pick the benefit you're on.
We've got the page for that.
Each route below is a full sub-hub with the eligible providers, the application steps and the editorial that explains what to ask for.
★Featured by AdeBroadband social tariffs, the main UK providers in one place
Compare the main UK broadband social tariffs. From £12.50/month for people on Universal Credit, Pension Credit, JSA, ESA, Income Support. Six providers, no mid-contract rises.
If your provider rejected you
Refused a broadband social tariff? The common reasons, the fix for each, a copy-paste complaint template, and the free appeal route if it comes to that.
How to apply for a broadband social tariff
How to apply for a broadband social tariff in three steps. What to have ready, the no-fee mid-contract switch, and the two providers that ask for more.
PIP broadband social tariffs: the two major providers that accept it
Of the major providers, only Vodafone and Hyperoptic accept PIP for a broadband social tariff. Why the others refuse it, and the routes a PIP claimant still has.
If you're on JSA, ESA or Income Support
Income-based JSA, income-related ESA and Income Support qualify for a broadband social tariff. Why the contribution-based versions get refused, and what to do.
If you're on Pension Credit
On Pension Credit, Guarantee Credit qualifies you for almost every social tariff. Savings Credit alone is the catch, and where to try if that is all you get.
Recent on social tariffs.
More than 20 providers,
three to start with.
If you already know which provider you want to be with, jump straight to their social tariff page. Three of them are below.