Nowadays, having broadband internet access has become important for a lot of people. However, Ofcom the UK regulatory body, has found that one million households are having a hard time affording their broadband bills. The good news is that there are some discounted social tariffs available to help people in this situation. Unfortunately, many eligible households are not aware of these special offers and are missing out on the opportunity to save money.
What is Universal credit
Universal Credit is a payment to help with your living costs. It’s paid monthly – or twice a month for some people in Scotland.
You may be able to get it if you’re on a low income, out of work or you cannot work.
- Universal Credit is replacing the following benefits and tax credits:
- Child Tax Credit
- Housing Benefit
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Working Tax Credit
To qualify you need to check each provider as some will only offer tariff if you are already with them. Typically, you qualify if receiving universal credit, pension credit, income-based employment support allowance, income-based jobseeker’s allowance or income support but checking by provider is key which is why our BOT can help you with the big 5 providers.
The good news is that these special discounted social tariffs usually have consistently low prices, which means that for many people who are eligible, they offer the best possible value if you plan to stay with the same provider for a number of years. However, if you are someone who regularly switches between different providers, you may be able to find even better deals by taking advantage of switching incentives and changing your provider every year or two. Most providers will offer a discounted price over the contract length and even offer vouchers as an incentive to switch.
