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On Universal Credit?

A social tariff is a provider's own broadband or mobile plan at a lower price, for people on Universal Credit, Pension Credit and some other benefits. It isn't a different service: it's the provider's usual connection and support, for less, and usually with no exit fee. You ask the provider for it, and it checks you qualify.

532,000 households were on a social tariff in June 2025, about 8.6% of those who could be, and seven in ten eligible households didn't know they existed. Ofcom's figures, reported by ISPreview.

How to get one

  1. 01Check you qualify

    Almost every one takes Universal Credit and Pension Credit, and most take Income Support and income-based Jobseeker's Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance. Some take PIP, Attendance Allowance, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support too. The benefit usually has to be in the account holder's own name.

  2. 02Check who reaches you

    Virgin Media and the full fibre networks only sell where they've built. The internet checker shows what reaches your address and who sells there. .

  3. 03Ask for it by name

    Call, chat or fill in the provider's form. The big ones check with the Department for Work and Pensions from your name, date of birth and postcode or National Insurance number; smaller ones ask for a benefit letter or statement.

Already with a provider?

You don't have to switch to get one. Many providers move their own customers onto theirs, and Virgin Media, Hyperoptic, BT, G.Network, Toob and Truespeed say there's no exit fee on the contract you're in. BT takes EE and Plusnet broadband customers too.

NOW Broadband keeps its own for people already with it. Each tariff below says what its provider says about moving, where it says anything; if it says nothing, ask.

Broadband social tariffs

Mobile social tariffs

Not on the list?

EE and Plusnet broadband customers move to BT Home Essentials. Three's social tariff is SMARTY's, and Vodafone's mobile one is VOXI For Now. TalkTalk is the one big broadband provider without one.

If your provider isn't here, I couldn't find a social tariff on its site or couldn't read its page. Ask it anyway, or look at .

Where this comes from

I read every tariff on its provider's own page on 10 October 2026, and each one links the pages it came from. I've only put down what they say: where a provider gives no speed, contract or setup charge, it's left out rather than guessed. Prices change, so the provider's page has the last word.

The take-up figures are from Ofcom's Pricing Trends Report 2026, as ISPreview reported them, and ISPreview's guide pointed me to the smaller providers. Social tariffs pay no commission, so every link here goes straight to the provider.

What reaches your address?

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