How to get a social tariff

Most people can move onto a social tariff in one phone call or a short online form. Here is what to expect, step by step.

1. Check whether your current provider has one

Look for your provider in our list of social tariffs. If it has one, you can usually move onto it without changing provider. You keep the same line and usually the same router, and you shouldn't have to pay a fee to leave your current deal. That's true even if you're partway through a contract.

If your provider doesn't have a social tariff, pick one that does, checking it covers your address and accepts your benefit. Then go to step 4.

2. Make sure your benefit is accepted

Every provider sets its own list of benefits. Universal Credit is accepted by almost all of them. PIP is accepted by far fewer. Check the details for each provider on the Universal Credit page or the PIP page.

If one provider turns you down because of your benefit, that doesn't mean the others will. Their lists are different.

3. Have your details ready

You will usually need:

your National Insurance number
your name, date of birth and address, exactly as the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has them
your bank details for the monthly payment

Most providers check that you get the benefit by asking the DWP directly, and you give your permission for this as part of applying. The check only confirms that you get a qualifying benefit. It doesn't tell the provider how much you get, and it doesn't affect your credit score.

A few providers ask you to send a recent benefit letter or a screenshot from your Universal Credit online account instead. Some do still run a normal credit check when you open a new account, as they would for anyone else. If that worries you, ask before you apply.

4. Apply on the provider's own website or by phone

Use the "social tariff page" link in each provider's details. These links go straight to the provider. We don't use affiliate links and nobody pays us when you sign up.

When you call, ask for the tariff by name, for example "Home Essentials", "Essential Broadband" or "Essentials Broadband". Front-line staff don't always recognise the words "social tariff".

5. If you are switching to a new provider

Since September 2024, switching broadband in the UK works through One Touch Switch. You only need to contact the new provider, and it arranges the switch and the cancellation of your old service. You don't need to ring your old provider.

Before you switch, check whether your old provider will charge you to leave your contract early. The right to move without an exit fee only applies when you move onto your own provider's social tariff. If you're in the middle of a contract and you leave for a different provider, your old provider can still charge. Some providers will waive the fee if you explain why you're leaving, so it's worth asking.

6. Check the small print before you agree

Ask the provider:

Is there a set-up, activation or router delivery charge?
How long is the minimum contract?
Will the price go up during the contract, or when it ends?
Do I need a landline or a phone line rental?
What happens to my price if I stop getting the benefit?

If you are turned down or the staff don't know about it

Try again online. Most providers have a dedicated application page, which avoids staff who don't know the product.
Ask to speak to the team that handles social tariffs or vulnerable customers.
Make a formal complaint if you think you've been wrongly refused. Every provider must have a complaints process. Put it in writing and keep the reference number.
Take it to an ombudsman. If the provider hasn't sorted out your complaint after six weeks, or sooner if it sends you a "deadlock" letter, you can take it to the Communications Ombudsman or CISAS. The six weeks applies to complaints made on or after 8 April 2026; before that it was eight weeks. This is free, and your provider must tell you which scheme it uses.

If there isn't a social tariff you can get

Check whether a mobile social tariff, or a 4G or 5G home broadband deal, would work for you. Ofcom's list includes mobile social tariffs too.
The National Databank, run by the charity Good Things Foundation, gives free mobile data SIM cards to people on low incomes through local community centres, libraries and charities.
Citizens Advice can help if you're struggling to pay your broadband bill or are in debt to a provider.