Home / Social Tariffs — Broadband for low-income households

Social Tariffs — Broadband for low-income households

We use broadband for everything these days, and although a 1Gbps package may be a luxury, basic broadband is a necessity every household needs access to, whether it’s to look for jobs, shop online (to get the best deals, you need to be able to compare prices, and there are also many online exclusives!) or do homework.

To help those on the lowest incomes, the government has encouraged industry to provide affordable rates for such households, known as ‘Social Tariffs’. These are lower-cost or subsidised rates, usually available to recipients of certain benefits. The list of benefits covered varies by provider, as a general rule, it’s usually: –

Universal Credit
Pension Credit
Income Support
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
Income-based Employment Support Allowance

In some cases, Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Attendance Allowance may also make you eligible. Some providers require the ‘income-based’ part of JSA/ESA to be higher as well. The bill needs to be in the name of the benefit recipient, but obviously, everyone in the household can use the service. You may need to reconfirm qualification with the provider annually or more frequently.

As of April 2026, Community Fibre has an entry-level tariff which has no eligibility criteria so anyone is able to order it.

We list social tariffs on our main broadband ISP list, subject to the provider meeting our standard listing criteria.

We know finding details of these providers’ services can be difficult on their website, as we discussed in a feature in our Broadband Report in 2024. The costs of social tariffs should remain the same for the duration of the contract and you can usually exit without penalties too. Most providers seem to let you switch packages during the period, too. Do check before buying.

Social Tariffs on our main package list are shown below.

Note that the speeds shown may not always be available to you as this will depend on your location. The postcode filter will remove some packages but those with multiple technologies may show up but the speeds may vary. Please do check the specific package on the provider’s website before ordering.!

G.Fast – IMPORTANT NOTE ON SPEEDS — This postcode is likely to get a G.Fast service which is a ‘part fibre’ service capable of much faster speeds as the fibre comes closer to your home than ‘FTTC’ however it is still dependent on the line length. We expect your speeds around downstream. If a package is advertised with a faster speed below, you may not be able to receive the full speed at your location. Check with your provider before ordering. Read more about broadband technologies.

Part Fibre (FTTC) – IMPORTANT NOTE ON SPEEDS — This postcode should be able to to receive a ‘fibre-optic’ service. Some fibre services are ‘full fibre’ (FTTP) whilst others are ‘part fibre’ (FTTC) which means speeds can vary based on how long your line is. We think you’re likely to get part-fibre services downstream. The packages below may include listings with faster average speeds, however you may not get the full speeds shown on the package. Check with your provider before ordering a part-fibre (FTTC) product which advertises speed of up to 80Mbps. Read more about broadband technologies.

ADSL — This postcode should be able to receive an ADSL2 + service which is delivered over a copper telephone line from your home to the telephone exchange. The quality and length of the line will determine your maximum speed. The packages below may include listings with faster average speeds, however you may not get the full speeds shown on the package. You are likely to get speeds around downstream. Check with your provider before ordering a copper (ADSL2+) product which advertises speed of up to 24Mbps. Read more about broadband technologies.

Provider		Package	Download speed (average)	Monthly (inc. VAT)	First year cost(inc. VAT)

No ISP Packages found.
			Mbps	(thereafter)	£	More info
	B4SH	1Gbps Social Tariff Setup fee increasing to £175 on 01/04/2026 Social Tariff Social Tariffs are discounted packages offered to those who are in receipt of certain benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit. The exact criteria will depend on the provider.	1000 Mbps	£20.00 Setup £170.00	£410.00	More info
	B4RN	Social Tariff – 1 Gbps For recipients of Council Tax Support Social Tariff Social Tariffs are discounted packages offered to those who are in receipt of certain benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit. The exact criteria will depend on the provider.	1000 Mbps	£15.00 Setup £60.00	£240.00	More info
	Hyperoptic	1Gbps Hyperfast Fair Fibre (social tariff) Social Tariff Social Tariffs are discounted packages offered to those who are in receipt of certain benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit. The exact criteria will depend on the provider.	1000 Mbps	£20.00	£240.00	More info
	Hyperoptic	500Mbps Ultrafast Fair Fibre (social tariff) Social Tariff Social Tariffs are discounted packages offered to those who are in receipt of certain benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit. The exact criteria will depend on the provider.	500 Mbps	£17.00	£204.00	More info
	Hyperoptic	150Mb Superfast Fair Fibre (social tariff) Social Tariff Social Tariffs are discounted packages offered to those who are in receipt of certain benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit. The exact criteria will depend on the provider.	150 Mbps	£13.00	£156.00	More info
	Connect Fibre	Essentials (social tariff) Social Tariff Social Tariffs are discounted packages offered to those who are in receipt of certain benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit. The exact criteria will depend on the provider.	150 Mbps	£20.00	£240.00	More info
	Sky	Broadband Basics (social tariff) – existing customers only Mixed technology; see notes Social Tariff Social Tariffs are discounted packages offered to those who are in receipt of certain benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit. The exact criteria will depend on the provider.	150 Mbps	£20.00	£240.00	More info
	Quickline	Connect Social (social tariff) Social Tariff Social Tariffs are discounted packages offered to those who are in receipt of certain benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit. The exact criteria will depend on the provider.	100 Mbps	£16.50	£198.00	More info
	Wight Fibre	Full-Fibre 100 (Social Tariff) Social Tariff Social Tariffs are discounted packages offered to those who are in receipt of certain benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit. The exact criteria will depend on the provider.	100 Mbps	£19.95	£239.40	More info
	Hey! Broadband	Everyday Fibre (social tariff) Social Tariff Social Tariffs are discounted packages offered to those who are in receipt of certain benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit. The exact criteria will depend on the provider.	100 Mbps	£19.00	£228.00	More info
	Gigabit IQ	Social Connect (social tariff) Social Tariff Social Tariffs are discounted packages offered to those who are in receipt of certain benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit. The exact criteria will depend on the provider.	100 Mbps	£22.99	£275.88	More info
	Highland Broadband	Social 100 (social tariff) Social Tariff Social Tariffs are discounted packages offered to those who are in receipt of certain benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit. The exact criteria will depend on the provider.	100 Mbps	£23.99	£287.88	More info
	Vodafone Broadband	Fibre 2 Essentials (social tariff) Mixed technology; see notes Social Tariff Social Tariffs are discounted packages offered to those who are in receipt of certain benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit. The exact criteria will depend on the provider.	73 Mbps	£20.00	£240.00	More info
	BT	Home Essentials Fibre 2 plan (social tariff) Mixed technology; see notes Social Tariff Social Tariffs are discounted packages offered to those who are in receipt of certain benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit. The exact criteria will depend on the provider.	67 Mbps	£24.00	£288.00	More info
	Virgin Media	Essential Broadband Plus (social tariff) Social Tariff Social Tariffs are discounted packages offered to those who are in receipt of certain benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit. The exact criteria will depend on the provider.	54 Mbps	£20.00	£240.00	More info
	Fibrus	Full Fibre Essentials (social tariff) Social Tariff Social Tariffs are discounted packages offered to those who are in receipt of certain benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit. The exact criteria will depend on the provider.	50 Mbps	£14.99	£179.88	More info
	Wildanet	Helping Hand (Social Tariff) Social Tariff Social Tariffs are discounted packages offered to those who are in receipt of certain benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit. The exact criteria will depend on the provider.	50 Mbps	£20.00	£240.00	More info
	Country Connect	Social Tariff Social Tariff Social Tariffs are discounted packages offered to those who are in receipt of certain benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit. The exact criteria will depend on the provider.	50 Mbps	£20.00	£240.00	More info
	KCOM	Full Fibre Flex Plus (social tariff) Social Tariff Social Tariffs are discounted packages offered to those who are in receipt of certain benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit. The exact criteria will depend on the provider.	50 Mbps	£19.99	£239.88	More info
	toob	Essentials (toob) (social tariff) Social Tariff Social Tariffs are discounted packages offered to those who are in receipt of certain benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit. The exact criteria will depend on the provider.	50 Mbps	£15.00	£180.00	More info
	YouFibre	You 50 (social tariff) (Netomnia) Social Tariff Social Tariffs are discounted packages offered to those who are in receipt of certain benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit. The exact criteria will depend on the provider.	50 Mbps	£16.99	£203.88	More info
	G.Network	Essential Fibre (social tariff) Social Tariff Social Tariffs are discounted packages offered to those who are in receipt of certain benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit. The exact criteria will depend on the provider.	50 Mbps	£15.00	£180.00	More info
	Lightning Fibre	Social Tariff Social Tariff Social Tariffs are discounted packages offered to those who are in receipt of certain benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit. The exact criteria will depend on the provider.	50 Mbps	£15.00	£180.00	More info
	BT	Home Essentials Fibre Essential (social tariff) Mixed technology; see notes Social Tariff Social Tariffs are discounted packages offered to those who are in receipt of certain benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit. The exact criteria will depend on the provider.	36 Mbps	£21.00	£252.00	More info
	NOW	NOW Broadband Basics (social tariff) Social Tariff Social Tariffs are discounted packages offered to those who are in receipt of certain benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit. The exact criteria will depend on the provider.	36 Mbps	£20.00	£240.00	More info
	BT	Home Essentials No Income (social tariff) Mixed technology; see notes Social Tariff Social Tariffs are discounted packages offered to those who are in receipt of certain benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit. The exact criteria will depend on the provider.	36 Mbps	£16.00 Setup £10.00	£202.00	More info
	Community Fibre	35 Mbps Full Fibre (12 months) Social Tariff level pricing; no qualification criteria apply Social Tariff Social Tariffs are discounted packages offered to those who are in receipt of certain benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit. The exact criteria will depend on the provider.	35 Mbps	£12.50	£150.00	More info
	Wessex Internet	Social Tariff (Fibre/Fixed Wireless) Social Tariff Social Tariffs are discounted packages offered to those who are in receipt of certain benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit. The exact criteria will depend on the provider.	35 Mbps	£17.50	£210.00	More info
	KCOM	Full Fibre Flex (social tariff) Social Tariff Social Tariffs are discounted packages offered to those who are in receipt of certain benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit. The exact criteria will depend on the provider.	30 Mbps	£14.99	£179.88	More info
	Truespeed	Truespeed Basic (Social Tariff) Social Tariff Social Tariffs are discounted packages offered to those who are in receipt of certain benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit. The exact criteria will depend on the provider.	30 Mbps	£20.00	£240.00	More info
	GoFibre	GoFibre Social Tariff Social Tariff Social Tariffs are discounted packages offered to those who are in receipt of certain benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit. The exact criteria will depend on the provider.	30 Mbps	£20.00 Setup £99.00	£339.00	More info
	Grain Connect	Social Plus Tariff Social Tariff Social Tariffs are discounted packages offered to those who are in receipt of certain benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit. The exact criteria will depend on the provider.	30 Mbps	£22.50	£270.00	More info
	Virgin Media	Essential Broadband (social tariff) Social Tariff Social Tariffs are discounted packages offered to those who are in receipt of certain benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit. The exact criteria will depend on the provider.	15 Mbps	£12.50	£150.00	More info
	BT	Home Essentials Unlimited Broadband (ADSL) (social tariff) (not available in FTTC/FTTP areas) Social Tariff Social Tariffs are discounted packages offered to those who are in receipt of certain benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit. The exact criteria will depend on the provider.	15 Mbps	£15.00	£180.00	More info
	Grain Connect	Social Tariff Social Tariff Social Tariffs are discounted packages offered to those who are in receipt of certain benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit. The exact criteria will depend on the provider.	15 Mbps	£12.50	£150.00	More info