People who have reached state pension age can reduce their broadband bill to £12.50 before the next bill is due this month

Households are now paying more for their broadband bills, following last month’s annual increase. Most providers added between 7.9 and 8.8 percent to existing customer bills, in line with retail inflation.

However, there is an easy way to reduce costs in May, as most bills are made in advance: you pay for the coming month, not for the month that has already passed. Several members of the Daily Record Money Saving Facebook group have found success by simply calling their provider and asking if a cheaper package is available, especially if you are older or on certain benefits – usually from the Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP).

The charity Independent Age is also calling on internet providers to better promote their social broadband rates so that more older people struggling to manage their finances are aware that they can pay as little as £12.50 a month for their internet broadband services. Virgin Media Essentials.

Recent research from the dedicated older people’s charity shows that almost half of state pensioners (48%) on low incomes have struggled to keep up with their broadband bills in the past six months. The report says the findings raise fears that the cost of living crisis has deepened the ‘digital divide’ and warns that older people in financial difficulty could become even more isolated.

The charity said not being able to get online could mean that low-income older people cannot access information about financial rights or services, miss out on savings by not being able to search for the best deals and lose vital social connections.

Social tariffs are cheaper broadband contracts for those receiving means-tested benefits such as Pension Credit and Universal Credit. However, current usage is low, with only 5.1 percent of eligible households using it, suggesting that an estimated 4 million households are not using it.

Morgan Vine, head of policy and advocacy at Independent Age, said: “The choice to be active online should not be taken away because of the costs. We hear from people later in life who are struggling to pay their broadband bills, canceling their services or making significant sacrifices to meet these costs, such as going without fresh food.

“Cancelling broadband could mean someone misses out on the best deals, social contact with friends and family or information about financial support they might be entitled to, such as a pension credit or allowance.”

Ms Vine added: “Independent Age wants providers to proactively promote their social rates and target their activities to all eligible groups, including ensuring that older people on low incomes are not missed.”

Fran McSweeney, Head of National Services at Independent Age, said: “Social rates can be a lifeline to help older people struggling financially to stay connected. The Internet can help people stay in touch with friends and family later in life and access information about financial rights, offers and services, but it must be affordable. If you receive an income-related benefit, it is important that you check whether you are eligible for a social rate.

“You can check your eligibility and get a list of what providers are offering via the Ofcom website. These start at £12 per month and are designed for customers who need extra support. Please contact your current supplier for more information.”

Independent Age is urging older people who are cutting back on necessities to afford broadband to look for unclaimed benefits to boost their income. You can do this online at independentage.org or by calling them on 0800 319 6789 for a free and confidential benefits check to see if you are entitled to support that you are not currently receiving.

The full list of social tariffs for broadband and mobile phones can be found here on the Ofcom website.

Social rates in a nutshell

A social rate could save around £200 a year. The quickest way to find out if you may be eligible for a social rate is to contact your supplier directly and ask. Even if you don’t qualify, they may be able to offer you other ways to reduce your broadband bill.

It can be quite confusing to know whether the benefit you are claiming qualifies for a social rate. That’s why we’ve put together a list of all available social rates and the benefits that qualify for them.

A new system introduced in 2022 will make it faster for broadband providers to check eligibility by accessing a dedicated Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) IT system – with the applicant’s consent.

Benefits for which the DWP system can verify entitlement include:

• Universal credit
• Pension credit
• Income support
• Income-related benefit for job seekers
• Income-related employment support benefit

Broadband benefits and social rate

The providers below are taken from Ofcom’s latest social tariff broadband package guidelines. Here you will find direct links to the websites of broadband providers.

The broadband providers listed may not be available in your area. We have marked the providers that cover the whole of Great Britain as ‘UK’.

Universal credit

• BT – UK
• EE Basic (now offered through BT) – UK
• 4th utility – UK
• Hyperoptic – Scotland, England and Wales
• KCOM
• NOW Broadband – UK
• Sky Broadband – UK
• Virgin Media – UK
• Vodafone – UK

Pension credit

Attendance allowance

• Hyperoptic – Scotland, England and Wales
• KCOM

Personal Independence Allowance (PIP) / Adult Disability Allowance (ADP)

• Hyperoptic – Scotland, England and Wales
• KCOM
• Vodafone – UK

Disabled Housing Allowance (DLA)

Income support

Unemployment benefits

Work and support compensation

Support for care leavers

• Hyperoptic – Scotland, England and Wales
• KCOM
• Housing benefit
• Hyperoptic – Scotland, England and Wales

Reduced income allowance

10 social broadband tariff deals

Here are 11 to give you an idea of ​​monthly costs, available speeds and suitability.

BT Home Essentials (no income)

• Monthly cost: £15
• Average broadband speed: approximately 36 mbps
• Eligibility: Various benefits, see list above

BT Home Essentials (unlimited 36 Mbps)

• Monthly cost: £20
• Average broadband speed: approximately 36 Mbps
• Eligibility: Various benefits, see list above

BT Home Essentials (unlimited 67mbps)

• Monthly cost: £23
• Average broadband speed: approximately 67 Mbps
• Eligibility: Various benefits, see list above

EE Basic (now BT Home Essentials)

Monthly costs: from £15 – see BT social rates

Average broadband speed: approximately 36 mbps

Eligibility: Various benefits, see list above

Lothian broadband social tariff

• Monthly cost: £19.99
• Average broadband speed: 100 Mbps
• Eligibility: Open to all

Sky Broadband Basics

• Monthly cost: £20
• Average broadband speed: 36 Mbps
• Eligibility: Various benefits, see list above

NOW Broadband Basics

• Monthly cost: £20
• Average broadband speed: 36 Mbps
• Eligibility: Various benefits, see list above

Virgin Media essential broadband

• Monthly costs: €12.50
• Average broadband speed: 15 Mbps
• Eligibility: Various benefits, see list above

Virgin Media Essential Broadband Plus

• Monthly cost: £20
• Average broadband speed: 54 Mbps
• Eligibility: Various benefits, see list above

Vodafone Fiber 2 Essentials

• Monthly cost: £20
• Average broadband speed: 73 Mbps
• Eligibility: Various benefits, see list above

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