Vodafone withdrew its £12/month Essentials tariff, raising its entry price to £20. Virgin Media's Essential Broadband at £12.50 is now the lowest verified social tariff on the market — a reminder that these deals and their prices shift, so it's worth checking before you apply.
Social tariffs — discounted broadband for people on Universal Credit and other qualifying benefits — keep changing, and not always for the better. Vodafone has withdrawn its long-running £12/month entry-level tariff; its Essentials plan is now £20/month.
Virgin Media's Essential Broadband, at £12.50/month, is currently the cheapest verified social tariff on the market. BT, Sky, and Community Fibre all still offer their own versions in the same £12.50–£20 range.
The prices move; the eligibility and the point don't: if you're on Universal Credit or another qualifying benefit, you're likely paying more than you need to. Providers can verify your benefit automatically through the DWP — no paperwork required.
Check who's currently cheapest and how to switch on our Get help page.
The Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme, worth up to £5,000 towards a faster connection, closes to new applications on 20 November 2026. In Aberdeenshire alone, 2,089 premises are still eligible and have not used it.
WIRES has sent its submission to the Competition and Markets Authority's inquiry into BT's purchase of TalkTalk, asking that any approval protects prices, guarantees access to a social tariff and recognises the greater effect in rural Scotland. The full text is here. Comments closed on 9 October; the CMA reports by 19 October.
We read the published digital strategies of Scotland's 32 councils. Of the 24 we could verify, only Glasgow has a standalone strategy on digital exclusion. In 22, it is a theme inside a plan about the council's own services. Eight we couldn't confirm.
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