Universal Credit recipients may be able to save hundreds of pounds on their broadband bill
Universal Credit recipients and people on other benefits may be able to get cheaper broadband and phone packages
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Universal Credit recipients may be able to save around £180 per year by switching to broadband and phone social tariffs.
These tariffs are delivered in the same way as normal packages but at a lower price.
The cheaper broadband and phone packages may be available to people claiming Pension Credit and some other benefits, as well as Universal Credit, and providers may call them “essential” or “basic” broadband packages.
Current prices range from £10 to £20 – significantly cheaper than regular packages.
Most social tariffs offer superfast broadband at speeds over 30 Mbit/s, Ofcom said
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Most tariffs offer superfast broadband at speeds over 30 Mbit/s, Ofcom explained.
If a person’s provider offers a social tariff, then eligible people should be able to switch to it any time, free of charge, and the setup costs, if there are any, should be “small”.
Another aspect of social tariffs is the price won’t go up mid-contract and billpayers aren’t subject to a fee if they leave the tariff before the end of their contract.
All major providers offer social tariffs to people on Pension Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Income Support, while some providers might also offer them to people on Personal Independence Payment and Attendance Allowance.
Providers offering social tariffs include EE, Virgin Media, Now, Vodafone and BT.
The full list of providers and packages available for broadband and phone social tariffs can be found on Ofcom’s website.
To apply, Ofcom suggests people first check if their current provider offers a social tariff.
Eligible people can apply for most of these tariffs online, or they can call their provider and request to switch.
If the provider doesn’t offer a social tariff, qualifying people can switch to one that does.
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People on Universal Credit may be able to access other forms of support such as Council Tax Reduction and Cold Weather Payments
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The provider might let them leave their current contract without paying a penalty fee, although it’s important to check the terms and conditions and speak to the current provider.
People on Universal Credit may be able to access other forms of support.
For instance, it may be someone qualifies for a Cold Weather Payment during the winter, if there’s a trigger in their local area.
It may also be possible to get up to 100 per cent off a council tax bill.
Applicants should contact their local council for Council Tax Reduction, which is sometimes referred to as Council Tax Support.