Do I have to wait until my contract ends to move onto a social tariff?

No, not if you're staying with your current provider. Ofcom says you can switch to your own provider's social tariff at any time, free of charge, and Citizens Advice confirms you don't need to wait for your contract to end. Moving to a different provider is different: your current provider might waive the exit fee, but it doesn't have to, so ask first.

Can I get a social tariff if my partner claims Universal Credit but the broadband is in my name?

Usually not as things stand. Ofcom says the person receiving the benefit must be the main person on the contract, and Sky says another household member can't qualify for you. The usual fix is to put the account in the claimant's name, or have them take out the social tariff themselves.

Does PIP or Housing Benefit qualify for a broadband social tariff?

It depends on the provider. BT, Sky, Virgin Media and NOW don't list PIP or Housing Benefit, and toob says PIP doesn't qualify. Vodafone accepts PIP, while Hyperoptic, Connect Fibre, Truespeed and YouFibre accept both PIP and Housing Benefit. Check each provider's current list, and whether its network reaches your home.

Is there a credit check for a broadband social tariff?

Some providers run one. Vodafone credit-checks Essentials applicants, and BT credit-checks new customers, who may be asked for a deposit if their score is low, though existing BT customers moving across aren't checked. toob and 4th Utility say they don't credit-check. Ask the provider before applying if this worries you.

What happens to my social tariff if I stop getting benefits?

Providers re-check eligibility, often yearly. If you no longer qualify, BT moves you to its latest standard package and Virgin Media to its standard price, while Hyperoptic and Connect Fibre give 30 days' notice. Most let you leave without an exit fee at that point, so compare deals before the change takes effect.

Can I get a social tariff with Plusnet or EE broadband?

Yes, through BT. BT says eligible existing EE and Plusnet broadband customers can switch to BT Home Essentials for no extra charge. EE's own Basics plan is a SIM-only mobile social tariff rather than home broadband, and EE points customers who want cheaper broadband to BT Home Essentials.

Broadband social tariffs: who qualifies and how

A social tariff is a cheaper broadband package (and sometimes a cheaper phone package) for people who claim Universal Credit, Pension Credit and certain other benefits. Providers give them friendly names such as "Essentials" or "Basics", but Ofcom, the UK's communications regulator, is clear that they're delivered in the same way as ordinary packages. You get a normal connection on the same network, just at a lower monthly price.

Ofcom says current social tariffs range from £10 to £24 a month (its social tariffs page was last updated on 17 August 2026; checked October 2026). That range covers the mobile social tariffs on its list as well as broadband, and Ofcom's own table includes a broadband tariff priced above £24, so treat it as a guide rather than a hard limit.

Ofcom also says most social tariffs offer superfast broadband, meaning speeds over 30 Mbit/s (megabits per second, the standard unit for broadband speed). If you're unsure whether that's enough, our guide to what broadband speed you need helps you work it out.

Ofcom says social tariffs come with useful protections:

If your current provider has a social tariff, you can move to it at any time, free of charge.
The price won't go up during the contract, so you won't pay more than you agreed at the start.
You won't pay a fee to leave the social tariff before the end of the contract.
Any setup costs should be small, and the provider should tell you about them before you sign up.

Many eligible people don't know they exist: a National Audit Office report published in June 2026, as reported by ISPreview, found that only 34% of eligible broadband customers were aware of social tariffs in April 2026.

Which benefits qualify

Each provider sets its own rules, but there's a common core. According to Ofcom, if you claim Universal Credit you could switch to any of the tariffs on its list, and all the major providers also accept Pension Credit, Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) and Income Support. Some go further and accept Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Attendance Allowance.

How the lists compare at a selection of providers, from each provider's own page (checked October 2026; a dash means the benefit isn't on that list):

Benefit	BT, Sky, Virgin Media, NOW	Vodafone	Hyperoptic, Connect Fibre, Truespeed	toob
Universal Credit	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Pension Credit	Yes (BT: Guarantee Credit)	Yes	Yes	Yes
ESA / JSA	Yes (Sky, Virgin Media, NOW: income-based only)	Yes	Yes (income-based or income-related)	Yes
Income Support	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
PIP	-	Yes	Yes	No (toob says PIP doesn't qualify)
Attendance Allowance	-	-	Yes	-
Housing Benefit	-	-	Yes	-
Care Leavers Support	-	-	Yes	-

Vodafone also lists Reduced Earnings Allowance and Disability Allowance; YouFibre accepts Housing Benefit, PIP and Attendance Allowance. Lists change, so read the provider's current page before applying.

The fine print that catches people out

"Income-based" ESA and JSA. Sky, Virgin Media and NOW specify income-based ESA and JSA. Virgin Media says contribution-based ESA or JSA on its own doesn't count. If you're not sure which type you get, your award letter or online account will say.
Pension Credit at BT. BT lists Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit) specifically. If you only receive the Savings Credit part, check with BT before applying.
Universal Credit-only tariffs. Ofcom notes that Wildanet's social tariff is only for Universal Credit recipients, and that BT's Home Essentials No Income plan is for Universal Credit recipients with zero income.
Universal Credit with zero earnings. Quickline accepts Universal Credit only where you have zero earnings, although it also accepts a range of other benefits, including Pension Credit, Housing Benefit and PIP.
Claims still being processed. Sky says you must already be receiving the benefit; if you've applied and are waiting for a decision, you won't be eligible until the claim is approved.

Whose name the account needs to be in

Ofcom says the person who receives the benefit needs to be the main person on the broadband contract. Providers put this firmly: Sky says another member of the household can't qualify on your behalf, and NOW says the account holder and bill payer must be the person getting the benefit.

So if your partner claims Universal Credit but the broadband is in your name, you'd normally need to move the account into their name, or take out the social tariff in their name, before applying. Our guide to changing the broadband account holder explains how that usually works and what to ask.

Ofcom's list (last updated 17 August 2026) includes UK-wide broadband social tariffs from BT, NOW, Sky, Virgin Media and Vodafone. It also lists EE Basics, which is a SIM-only mobile plan rather than broadband. The table summarises each broadband provider's own page (checked October 2026).

Provider and tariff	Who can apply	Contract	How to apply	Credit check
BT Home Essentials	New BT customers, plus existing BT, EE and Plusnet customers	12 months, renewed if you're still eligible; cancel any time without exit fees	Contact BT; you need your National Insurance number when you order	New customers yes (a low score may mean a deposit); existing BT customers switching, no
Sky Broadband Basics	New and existing customers; the account holder must be the person receiving a qualifying benefit	24 months; no price rise during it and no early termination fees on broadband	By phone; Sky checks with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)	Ask when you apply
Virgin Media Essential Broadband	New and existing account holders, in Virgin Media network areas only	Rolling 30-day; no exit fees; free setup	Live chat or WhatsApp, giving your name, postcode and date of birth for a DWP check	Ask when you apply
Vodafone Essentials (Fibre 2 Essentials)	New and existing customers	12 months; no in-contract price rises; no early termination fee; no set-up costs	Online registration form; order processed within a week	Yes
NOW Broadband Basics	Existing NOW Broadband members only	Rolling monthly; 31 days' notice; no early termination charges	Sign in and call NOW	Ask when you apply

Details worth knowing:

BT says Home Essentials has no set-up fees and includes Call Barring at no extra cost. See our BT broadband deals page for an overview of BT's standard range.
Sky offers Broadband Basics as Full Fibre 75, Superfast 35 or 80, or Essential Plus over a copper line where fibre isn't available. Sky says it will tell you the standard price that applies after 24 months when you apply, and email you before the social tariff price ends. NOW's help page confirms Sky's Basics tariff is open to new customers. See our Sky broadband deals page for its standard range.
Vodafone says Essentials can't offer faster than 73Mbps download, includes line rental but no inclusive calls, and doesn't qualify for Vodafone Together discounts. More on its other packages on our Vodafone broadband deals page.

If you're with EE, Plusnet, NOW or TalkTalk

EE: EE describes its Basics plan as a low-cost social mobile tariff, so it won't cut your home broadband bill. For broadband, EE points eligible customers to BT Home Essentials, and BT says existing EE customers can switch over for no extra charge.

Plusnet: BT's Home Essentials page says eligible existing Plusnet customers can switch to it for no extra charge.

NOW: Broadband Basics is only for existing NOW members; NOW points new customers to Sky.

TalkTalk: TalkTalk doesn't appear on Ofcom's list of broadband social tariffs (checked October 2026). If you're with TalkTalk, ask it directly what it can offer.

Many smaller full fibre networks, often called altnets (alternative networks to Openreach and Virgin Media), run their own social tariffs. They can only serve homes their network has reached, and Ofcom warns that providers might not cover every property in the regions listed. Our explainer on what an altnet is covers how these networks work.

Provider	Where Ofcom lists it	What its own page says
Hyperoptic (Fair Fibre Plan)	England, Scotland and Wales	Rolling monthly, no exit fees; 30 days' notice to end it
Connect Fibre (Basic Essentials)	Cambridgeshire, Essex, Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire and Derbyshire	Includes Housing Benefit and PIP
toob (essentials)	Hampshire, Southampton and Surrey	No credit checks or early termination fees
Hey!Broadband (Everyday Fibre)	South East England	12 months, no price rise during it
Truespeed (Basic)	South West England	Includes Housing Benefit and PIP
YouFibre (You 50)	Various UK locations	12 months
Fibrus (Full Fibre Essential)	Northern Ireland and Cumbria	12 months, no early termination fees
WightFibre (Essential Broadband)	Isle of Wight	30-day rolling, no exit fees
Quickline	Yorkshire and Lincolnshire	Includes care leavers
4th Utility	England	30-day rolling, no credit checks

One London option works differently. Ofcom lists Community Fibre's Essential package, but unlike the others it has no benefits check: Community Fibre says its Essential 35 Mbps package is open to all new customers.

To see which networks reach your home, enter your postcode in the comparison on our cheap broadband deals page or browse the broadband providers hub. You apply for a social tariff directly with the provider, so don't expect one among the comparison results, but it shows which providers serve your address and lets you weigh up ordinary deals if you don't qualify.

How to apply, step by step

Ofcom and Citizens Advice suggest starting with the provider you already have.

Check your current provider first. If it has a social tariff, moving to it is free and you don't have to wait for your contract to end.
Check you're on a qualifying benefit for that provider, including the exact type (for example income-based ESA, or Guarantee Credit at BT). Some providers, Sky among them, also require the benefit to be in payment rather than pending.
Make sure the claimant is the account holder. If not, sort that out first.
Gather what the provider will ask for. BT asks for your National Insurance number. Sky checks your benefit with the DWP. Virgin Media and toob also check with the DWP, using your name, date of birth and postcode, and toob says those details must match the order. Hyperoptic checks Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income Support and income-based JSA or ESA with the DWP, but wants evidence for others such as PIP or Housing Benefit. Connect Fibre and YouFibre ask for proof of benefits too.
Apply in the way the provider asks. That's an online form at Vodafone, live chat or WhatsApp at Virgin Media, and a phone call at Sky, toob, Quickline and NOW. At BT, have your National Insurance number ready when you order.
Check the package covers what you need. Citizens Advice suggests confirming that the tariff includes all the services you use. Some include calls, some don't (Vodafone Essentials has line rental but no inclusive calls; Sky Basics comes with Pay As You Talk calls).
Read the contract summary before you agree, especially the length, what happens at the end and any setup charge. Our guide to reading your broadband contract summary shows what to look for.

Credit checks and deposits

Some providers still run a credit check. Vodafone credit-checks Essentials applicants. BT credit-checks new customers, and says a low score may mean you're asked for a security deposit, which it tells you about before you order; existing BT customers moving across aren't credit-checked. toob and 4th Utility say they don't run credit checks. Our guide to broadband credit checks and payment options explains what a check involves and what you can do.

The answer depends on whether you stay with your current provider or move to a different one.

Staying with your current provider

Ofcom and Citizens Advice say you can move to your own provider's social tariff at any time, free, without waiting for your contract to end. Providers' pages agree:

BT says existing BT, EE and Plusnet customers can switch over for no extra charge.
Virgin Media says existing customers who pass the DWP check can switch straight away, with no extra fees or cancellation charges for their current Virgin Media contract.
Hyperoptic says existing customers can change to its Fair Fibre Plan at any time at no cost after an eligibility check, and that customers in a minimum term are moved without a termination fee.
Vodafone says existing Fibre 1 and Fibre 2 customers can switch. If you're on an Xtra or Pro plan, or a speed over 150 Mbps, you'll lose those plans' extra benefits, and Together discounts don't apply.

So check what you'd give up: extras or bundle discounts tied to your current package may not carry across.

Moving to a different provider

If your provider has no social tariff, or its social tariff isn't available at your address, you can switch to one that does; Citizens Advice suggests checking the providers on Ofcom's list and then each provider's full rules. The catch is your existing contract. Ofcom says your current provider might let you leave without a penalty fee. Citizens Advice adds that if you're struggling to pay, your provider might let you leave early without a fee. Neither is a guarantee, so ask before you commit to anything.

Explain that you're on a qualifying benefit and your provider has no social tariff you can use, ask whether it will waive the exit fee, and note who agreed what. Our guide to leaving broadband early without an exit fee covers the situations where you're entitled to leave free, and our guide to switching broadband providers covers how the switch itself works.

What happens at renewal or if your benefits stop

Providers re-check eligibility, and what happens next varies:

BT contacts you in month 11 and re-checks on the 12-month anniversary. If you're still eligible, the plan renews for 12 months. If not, you move to the latest standard package, whose price then rises each 31 March, and you can cancel without early exit fees.
Virgin Media re-checks every 12 months. If you're no longer eligible, the monthly cost goes up to the standard price.
Sky Broadband Basics lasts 24 months, after which the price returns to Sky's standard rate.
Vodafone lets you continue after 12 months if you're still eligible and the plan is still offered; otherwise you choose a standard plan or leave without charge. Vodafone emails your options before the contract ends.
toob re-checks every 12 months. If you're no longer eligible, you can choose another plan or leave without a fee on 7 days' notice before your next bill date; if you do nothing, you move to its rolling 900 Mbps plan.
Hyperoptic and Connect Fibre give 30 days' notice before ending the social tariff if you stop being eligible. Hyperoptic asks you to tell it as soon as your benefits stop.
YouFibre says that if your benefits change and you need to cancel, you must give 30 days' notice to avoid early termination fees.

Put a reminder in your calendar a month before your re-check or contract end date, so you have time to compare what you'd move onto with other deals at your address.

Annual price rises

Standard packages at BT and Virgin Media have an annual price change, but their social tariffs are kept out of it: BT says the Home Essentials package price doesn't rise each March (although TV add-ons and out-of-bundle charges can); Virgin Media's annual price change excludes Essential broadband and Essential broadband plus; and ISPreview reported that social tariffs were exempt from Sky's April 2026 rise. Vodafone and Hey!Broadband say there are no price rises during the contract. For how rises work on ordinary contracts, see our guide to mid-contract price rises.

Other help if money is tight

If you're already behind on payments, talk to your provider as soon as possible; that's Ofcom's advice too. In 2022 Ofcom said it considered it best practice (guidance, not a strict rule) for providers to tell customers who are struggling to pay about their social tariff and how to sign up, so ask directly if it isn't mentioned. Citizens Advice notes that your provider might also let you leave your contract early without a fee if you're struggling. Our guide on what to do if you're struggling to pay your broadband bill goes through the options in more detail.

A few other things worth knowing:

Jobcentre Plus. Citizens Advice says that if you have a Jobcentre Plus work coach, you might be able to get free internet for six months. Ask your work coach whether it's available to you.
Landline only. If you only need a home phone, Ofcom says BT and KCOM offer cheaper voice-only landline tariffs to eligible households.
Mobile social tariffs. Ofcom's list also includes mobile social tariffs from O2, SMARTY and VOXI, as well as EE Basics.

This guide explains how social tariffs work using providers' and regulators' published information. It isn't personal financial advice, and SwitchMyBroadband doesn't arrange social tariffs: you apply directly with the provider, which makes the final eligibility decision.