Could I get cheaper broadband?
A friendly check on social tariffs: cheaper broadband for households receiving Universal Credit, Pension Credit and certain other benefits. No scores are collected, and nothing about you is asked.
Social tariffs are cheaper broadband packages for households receiving Universal Credit, Pension Credit and certain other benefits. Ofcom's list runs from £12 to £25 a month, yet 70% of eligible households had not heard of them in October 2025.
What you will learn
- 1Who can usually get a social tariff
- 2What they cost on Ofcom's list
- 3How to ask your provider
Why it matters
Social tariffs are one of the best kept secrets in UK broadband. Ofcom counted 532,000 customers on one in June 2025, fewer than one in ten of the households who could have one, and seven in ten eligible households did not know they existed.
You apply to the provider, and they check your eligibility. Ofcom's list includes more than 30 broadband tariffs from a wide range of providers, most of them at 30 Mbps or faster. If you know someone who could qualify, sharing this is a genuinely kind thing to do.
Every answer, explained
Spoilers below. Play first, then open any question to see the answer, the reason and the source.
1. Who can usually get a broadband social tariff?
Answer: Households receiving Universal Credit, Pension Credit or certain other benefits
Ofcom says anyone in a household claiming Universal Credit can usually apply, and major providers also include Pension Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, Jobseeker's Allowance and Income Support.
Source: Ofcom, Social tariffs list
2. On Ofcom's list, broadband social tariffs start from how much a month?
Answer: £12
From £12 a month, with the dearest at £25. Many give speeds of 30 to 50 Mbps or more.
Source: Ofcom, Social tariffs list
3. In October 2025, how many eligible households had not heard of social tariffs?
Answer: 7 in 10
Seven in ten, according to Ofcom. That is why passing it on matters.
Source: Ofcom, Pricing and consumer engagement, February 2026
4. How many customers were on a social tariff in June 2025?
Answer: 532,000
532,000, up 26,000 on the year, which is fewer than one in ten of those who could have one.
Source: Ofcom, Pricing and consumer engagement, February 2026; ISPreview, February 2026
5. For most social tariffs, who needs to be named on the broadband contract?
Answer: The person receiving the qualifying benefit
Ofcom says the person receiving the benefit must be the main person on the contract.
Source: Ofcom, Social tariffs list
6. You move to your own provider's social tariff partway through a contract. What does Ofcom say?
Answer: Your provider might let you leave your current contract without a penalty
Many providers will let you move without an exit fee. It is always worth asking.
Source: Ofcom, Social tariffs list
7. Roughly how much a year could an eligible household save by moving to a social tariff?
Answer: About £200
Ofcom's February 2026 research put it at around £200 a year.
Source: ISPreview, February 2026
Compare broadband
Not eligible? Compare standard deals
Every provider at your postcode, cheapest first. Social tariffs are applied for directly with the provider.
Questions people ask
- Who can get a broadband social tariff?
- Households receiving Universal Credit can usually apply, and the major providers also include Pension Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, Jobseeker's Allowance and Income Support. Some add Personal Independence Payment and Attendance Allowance.
- How much is a broadband social tariff?
- On Ofcom's list, broadband social tariffs run from £12 to £25 a month.
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How we checked this quiz
Every answer was checked on 9 November 2026 against the source listed with it, mostly Ofcom and the companies that publish the figures, and dated figures say when they apply. Questions that depend on a date, such as compensation amounts that rise each April, are hidden automatically once they pass their review date, so the quiz never shows an out-of-date answer. Your scores, badges and streaks are kept on this device only. Nothing from this quiz is sent anywhere.
References
- Ofcom. (2026, February 26). New Ofcom research reveals how to cut phone and internet bills. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/bills-and-charges/new-ofcom-research-reveals-how-to-cut-phone-and-internet-bills
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