THOUSANDS of Brits on benefits have just hours left to bag the cheapest broadband deal before prices go up this Friday.
BT is set to hike the cost of its Home Essentials social tariff from £15 to £16 a month on Friday, May 3.
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However, eligible customers can lock in the cheaper rate for the next 12 months before the price hike.
To do so, they must apply by tonight, Thursday 1 May .
The deal offers average speeds of 36Mbps, which is plenty for streaming, browsing and video calls.
It’s aimed at people receiving certain benefits like Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support and Jobseeker’s Allowance.
There’s a £12 upfront fee for postage and packaging, but the monthly broadband cost is fixed for a year and crucially, customers on the social tariff won’t be hit with mid-contract price rises, which many standard tariffs face every spring.
BT also offers a faster option at 67Mbps for £20 a month, which is due to rise to £21 from Friday.
Both tariffs are part of BT’s commitment to support low-income households with affordable connectivity.
Who can get it?
To be eligible for BT’s Home Essentials plan, you need to be receiving one of the following:
- Universal Credit
- Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit)
- Jobseeker’s Allowance (income-based)
- Income Support
- Employment and Support Allowance (income-based)
You don’t need to be an existing BT customer to apply, and you can switch even if you’re still in a contract with another provider without facing early exit fees.
Martin Lewis and his team at MoneySavingExpert have warned people to act quickly.
In its latest newsletter, it said: “Check now, thousands are missing out, and this deal gets more expensive after Thursday. Apply NOW to lock in the cheaper price for a year.”
One reader who switched said she saved over £900 a year by moving her mum onto the £15 BT plan.
Why it matters
The cost of broadband has soared in recent years and inflation-linked mid-contract price hikes mean that millions of households face bills increasing by up to 8.8% this spring alone.
Yet despite rising costs, take-up of broadband social tariffs remains shockingly low.
According to Ofcom, over four million households in the UK are eligible for a cheaper broadband deal, but only 220,000 (around 5%) are actually signed up.
That means millions could be missing out on vital savings.
Other cheap deals available
BT isn’t the only provider offering social tariffs and depending on where you live and how fast your internet needs to be, you may find a better option elsewhere.
Here are some of the best social tariffs available:
- Virgin Media Essentials: £12.50/month for 15Mbps or £20/month for 54Mbps. No setup cost and a rolling 30-day contract.
- Sky Broadband Basics: £20/month for 36Mbps. 18-month contract, no setup fee.
- Vodafone Essentials: £12/month for 38Mbps or £20/month for 73Mbps. 12-month contract.
- Hyperoptic Fair Fibre: £15/month for 50Mbps or £20/month for 150Mbps. Rolling contract, available in select urban areas.
- NOW Broadband Basics: £20/month for 36Mbps. Includes line rental and has no setup cost.
- TalkTalk: Offers its Future Fibre social tariff in partnership with the DWP. It’s available to benefit claimants and provides full-fibre speeds at a lower cost.
TalkTalk’s low-cost broadband isn’t always listed alongside the others, but it may be an option for those already receiving benefits especially if you’re in an area with full-fibre availability.
Each of these providers has its own eligibility rules, so check directly with them.
How to apply for BT Home Essentials
To sign up for BT’s discounted broadband, head to the BT Home Essentials page and follow the steps to apply. You’ll need to prove your benefit status using your National Insurance number — BT checks this automatically with the DWP.
Once accepted, you can either switch to BT or downgrade your current BT plan without penalty.
If you’re on a low income or claiming benefits, switching to a social tariff could save you hundreds of pounds a year.
But time is running out, BT’s current £15 a month price expires at 11.59pm on Thursday.
How do I choose the best broadband deal for me?
The first thing you need to know is what speed you want to go for.
If multiple people within your household use the internet to stream TV shows and films or upload photos to Facebook or Instagram, you won’t need much more than 5-10 Mbps to avoid buffering.
If you’ve got a larger family, all of whom are streaming, online gaming, and/or uploading videos to TikTok, you’re going to want something in the range of 20-40 Mbps.
You’ll want to consider faster broadband options if you’re regularly downloading whole films or games to your devices, or you need to upload substantial digital files to the web.
Once you know what broadband speeds you need and how much you’re willing to spend, the next step is to select the best extras.
Most UK broadband providers feature TV deals, but the channels they offer are different.
For instance, Sky offers the most channels, but its broadband speeds are slower than Virgin’s or BT’s.
In addition to this, when picking the right broadband deal for you, you should also consider mobile and streaming offers.