The consumer expert warned the discounted schemes are ‘hideously underpublicised’
Martin Lewis has urged people to check if they qualify for a discounted rates programme which is “hideously underpublicised”. He warned that millions of households are missing out on the support despite being eligible. People on DWP benefits such as Universal Credit may be eligible for the schemes.
A question came in to his BBC podcast about social tariffs, and who exactly qualifies. These are broadband and phone tariffs you can get with major providers such as BT, Vodafone and Sky, often with very cheap rates compared to standard tariffs from the same provider. But Mr Lewis warned that those people who are eligible may not know about these discounted rates. He said: “Social tariffs are those tariffs available for those people on lower incomes.
“Now when it comes to broadband, social tariffs are entirely voluntary and it is up to the individual broadband providers to set their social tariffs. They are hideously unpublicised, they often can be quite slow speed, which is also a problem.” He said that another reason people often miss out on them is they are not listed on most comparison sites.
Worth checking
You can get very cheap deals through social tariffs, such as the EE Basics broadband deal or the Hyperoptic Fair Fibre Fast, which are both just £12 a month. However, the qualifying rules vary for each tariff.
Mr Lewis shared a general rule of thumb about who is eligible. He said: “I would say if you earn under £26,000, check out whether you can get social tariffs.” The expert warned the qualifying rules can vary widely, with some providers offering a free service for six months for jobseekers, while others are based on you claiming a means-tested benefit, such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit.
Ofcom qualifying rules guidance
Guidance on the Ofcom website listing all the tariffs explains: “If you or someone in your household claims Universal Credit, you could switch to any of the tariffs available.
“All major providers also include people on Pension Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Income Support. Some providers might include additional benefits, like Personal Independence Payment and Attendance Allowance. The person receiving the benefit needs to be the main person on the contract.”
Mr Lewis said the social tariffs rules should be reformed. He urged: “We need to codify what the benefits are, and we need to ensure that they’re on comparison sites. And a great suggestion from Citizens Advice on broadband social tariffs, which I love, is actually it should just be done via voucher.
“Because you’re often missing out on the fastest speeds, and it would be much better just to give people a voucher to get their broadband as part of the social tariffs rather than coming up with these rather slow social tariffs that are available. You could get your voucher cheaper if you qualified.”
