Last updated: Wednesday 11 November 2026 (Europe/London). Prices below are as of 11 November 2026, for new customers, unless we say otherwise.
Next update: if Virgin Media or BT change their social tariff prices, or BT changes the prices on our link or on bt.com.
By: Switch Editorial Team, Switch Squid Ltd
Virgin Media Essential Broadband is £12.50 a month and BT Home Essentials starts from £16.50, as of 11 November 2026, if you qualify. A social tariff is a cheaper broadband package for people on Universal Credit, Pension Credit and certain other benefits. If you don’t qualify, or you need more speed than an essential plan gives, a mainstream full fibre plan is the alternative: BT Full Fibre 150 is £25.99 a month through our link, with £0 activation.
This guide helps you decide when a social tariff is the right first call and when a mainstream plan fits better. We may earn a commission if you order through our links; social tariff applications go straight to the provider.
BT Full Fibre 150 — £25.99 a month through our link, £0 activation
- BT Full Fibre 150 is £25.99 a month through our link, as of 11 November 2026 (£30.99 on bt.com), on a 24-month contract, then £29.99 from March 2027 and £33.99 from March 2028. If you join in November 2026, your first 12 months cost £339.88: five months at £25.99, then seven at £29.99.
- £0 activation, plus up to £300 towards your old provider’s leaving fees, paid as bill credit. If you join in November 2026, 24 months cost £727.76: five months at £25.99, then 12 at £29.99 and seven at £33.99.
- Main limitation: our BT link opens Full Fibre 150, and full fibre must reach your address.
- We may earn a commission if you buy; it doesn’t change the price you pay.
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How we count a year
If you join in November 2026, first-year cost is five months at the introductory price (November to March) plus seven months at the first risen price (April to October), plus any activation fee. Plans that stay at one price for at least twelve months are twelve times the monthly price. We don’t subtract leaving-fee credits from first-year cost, because they repay a fee rather than lowering your bill.
Social tariffs and mainstream plans compared
These prices are as of 11 November 2026, on each provider’s own page. Social tariff prices only apply if you pass the provider’s eligibility check.
Plan | Who can get it | Monthly price | First year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Virgin Media Essential Broadband | Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based JSA or ESA | £12.50 | £150 | 15Mbps average download, 2Mbps upload. Rolling 30-day contract, free setup, no exit fee. Virgin network areas only. |
Virgin Media Essential Broadband Plus | As above | £20 | £240 | 54Mbps average download, 5Mbps upload. Rolling 30-day contract. |
BT Home Essentials | Universal Credit, Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit), ESA, JSA or Income Support | From £16.50 | From £198 | Fibre broadband with no set-up fees on a 12-month contract. Cancel any time without early exit fees. |
Hyperoptic 150Mb, 500Mb or 1Gb | Anyone, in selected buildings | £15 for 15 months | £180 | Then £19, £24 or £27 for the last nine months of a 24-month plan. |
BT Full Fibre 150, through our link | Anyone where BT full fibre reaches | £25.99 | £339.88 | Then £29.99 from March 2027. £0 activation. |
Social tariffs are delivered like normal broadband, with the same engineers and the same sockets, at a lower monthly price for eligible homes. Essential plans are slower than mainstream full fibre, but 15–54Mbps is enough for email, banking, homework and one stream for many homes.
Who usually qualifies
Universal Credit is the common gateway. Virgin Media also accepts Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance and income-based Employment and Support Allowance. BT Home Essentials accepts Universal Credit, Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit), Employment and Support Allowance, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Income Support. Exact lists differ by provider, so read that provider’s page rather than assuming one national checklist.
The person receiving the benefit usually needs to be the named account holder. Virgin Media checks eligibility with the Department for Work and Pensions using your name, postcode and date of birth, and BT asks for your National Insurance number when you order. Both providers re-check eligibility every 12 months.
If your current provider offers a social tariff, ask them first. If they don’t, ask whether they will let you leave without an exit fee to join another provider’s social tariff, and get the answer in writing.
When a social tariff should beat a mainstream plan
Choose a social tariff when you clearly qualify, your household mainly needs email, one stream, homework and video calls, and the monthly cost matters more than top speed. Paying for 900Mbps that you can’t feel upstairs is a poor use of a tight budget.
Choose a mainstream plan when you don’t qualify, several people work and game at the same time, or you already know an essential plan leaves you buffering. Hyperoptic is £15 a month for the first 15 months in selected buildings, as of 11 November 2026, and BT Full Fibre 150 is £25.99 a month through our link where BT full fibre reaches.
Choose BT Full Fibre 150 at £25.99 a month through our link
- BT Full Fibre 150 is £25.99 a month through our link, as of 11 November 2026 (£30.99 on bt.com), on a 24-month contract, then £29.99 from March 2027 and £33.99 from March 2028, with £0 activation. If you join in November 2026, your first 12 months cost £339.88: five months at £25.99, then seven at £29.99.
- If you join in November 2026, 24 months cost £727.76: five months at £25.99, then 12 at £29.99 and seven at £33.99.
Fit summary
Good for a social tariff: households on a qualifying benefit that need reliable essential broadband at the lowest price.
Good for BT Full Fibre 150: homes that don’t qualify, or that need more speed, where BT full fibre reaches the address.
Not for: assuming a mainstream plan is a social tariff. They are separate products with separate prices.
Important conditions
Eligibility rules and prices are set by each provider and can change, so read the provider’s own page before you apply.
A social tariff can end if you stop qualifying; Virgin moves you to its standard price, and BT moves you to the equivalent standard package.
Virgin Media says moving to Essential Broadband ends any Virgin TV or landline service on the account.
BT Full Fibre 150 availability and install type depend on your address.
Read the monthly price, any setup fee and the price rises in pounds and pence before you order a mainstream plan.
Flats and rented homes can need landlord permission before a full fibre install.
Switching steps
Check which benefits you receive and whether you can be the named account holder.
Ask your current provider whether it offers a social tariff, and apply if it does.
If it doesn’t, compare Virgin Media Essential Broadband and BT Home Essentials at your postcode.
If you don’t qualify, or need more speed, compare mainstream full fibre plans by first-year cost.
Use One Touch Switch, so your new provider arranges the move and your old line stays on until the new one works.
Final decision card
Qualify and need essential broadband → a social tariff first.
Don’t qualify, busy household, full fibre at your address → a mainstream plan, compared by first-year cost.
Qualify but need heavy uploads for work → ask whether a faster social plan exists, such as Virgin’s 54Mbps Essential Broadband Plus at £20, before you pay mainstream prices.
Check BT Full Fibre at your address
- BT Full Fibre 150 is £25.99 a month through our link, as of 11 November 2026 (£30.99 on bt.com), then £29.99 from March 2027 and £33.99 from March 2028, with £0 activation on a 24-month contract. If you join in November 2026, your first 12 months cost £339.88: five months at £25.99, then seven at £29.99.
- Up to £300 towards leaving fees, paid as bill credit. If you join in November 2026, 24 months cost £727.76: five months at £25.99, then 12 at £29.99 and seven at £33.99.
- If you get Universal Credit or another qualifying benefit, compare a social tariff first.
Why take-up stays low
Far fewer households use a social tariff than could qualify for one. Awareness is the usual reason: people see adverts for fast mainstream plans long before they hear about essential tariffs. If you claim Universal Credit or Pension Credit, ask your provider one plain question: “Do you offer a social tariff, and can you check my eligibility?”
Worked home shapes
Single parent on Universal Credit, one laptop and a TV: a social tariff is the default first call.
House share where nobody gets a qualifying benefit, four gamers: a social tariff won’t apply, so compare mainstream full fibre plans by first-year cost.
Pension Credit household on a weak copper line: ask about social tariffs, and check whether full fibre has reached the street, because BT Home Essentials is a fibre plan.
Related SwitchSquid broadband guides
For pensioner households, see broadband deals for pensioners. For hub decisions, read Wi-Fi 6 router broadband deals. For home working, see broadband for working from home.
How to test whether you need more speed
Do three tests on the same evening: wired at the router, Wi-Fi in the living room, and Wi-Fi in the weakest bedroom. If the rooms you use are fine, an essential plan may be enough. If a wired test is slow on a busy evening and four devices compete, that is a capacity problem, and a faster plan is the fix rather than a different router.
When you open an order page, note the monthly price, any upfront charges, the contract length and the price rises. Know the year-two figure before you order.
Renters, permission and engineer visits
Full fibre installs sometimes need landlord permission. Start that email before you book a slot you can’t use. A move to a social tariff can still need an engineer visit, depending on the network at the property.
If you are mid-contract with another provider, ask for your exit fee before you switch. Unless the provider waives it in writing, you still owe it.
How to apply for a social tariff
Social tariffs are applied for on the provider’s own site or by phone. Virgin Media takes applications through live chat on its website, and BT asks existing customers to call 0800 800 150. Have your National Insurance number and benefit details ready.
FAQ
What is a broadband social tariff?
It is a cheaper broadband package, and sometimes a phone package, for people on Universal Credit and certain other benefits. It uses the same network as the provider’s normal plans. Speeds are usually lower than mainstream full fibre.
How much is a social tariff in November 2026?
Virgin Media Essential Broadband is £12.50 a month and BT Home Essentials starts from £16.50, as of 11 November 2026, if you qualify. Each provider sets its own benefit list and speeds. Confirm eligibility on the provider’s own page before you apply.
Who is eligible for social tariff broadband?
Rules vary by provider, but Universal Credit is the common gateway. Virgin Media and BT both also accept Pension Credit, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance and Income Support, with some conditions. The person on the benefit usually needs to be the account holder.
Do I apply for a social tariff through this page?
No. Social tariffs are applied for on the provider’s own site, usually with proof of a qualifying benefit such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit. The buttons on this page open BT Full Fibre 150 at £25.99 a month through our link, which is a mainstream plan.
Can I leave my current contract for a social tariff?
Ask your provider first, because some will move you to their own social tariff without an exit fee. Virgin Media says existing customers who qualify can move to Essential Broadband with no cancellation charges for their current Virgin contract. Get any promise in writing.
How fast are social tariffs?
Virgin Media Essential Broadband averages 15Mbps and Essential Broadband Plus averages 54Mbps. That is enough for email, banking and one stream in many homes. It is not a 900Mbps product.
How much does BT Full Fibre 150 cost over 24 months?
£727.76 if you join in November 2026 through our link: five months at £25.99, then 12 at £29.99 and seven at £33.99. Activation is £0. BT’s up to £300 leaving-fee credit is paid as bill credit, so we don’t subtract it.
Compare at your postcode
Prices only apply where the network reaches. Confirm the contract summary at your address on the retailer’s own page, or compare broadband deals at your postcode.
Sources
Virgin Media social tariff page on virginmedia.com, as of 11 November 2026 (Essential Broadband £12.50 a month, 15Mbps average download; Essential Broadband Plus £20, 54Mbps; rolling 30-day contract; free setup).
BT Home Essentials on bt.com, as of 11 November 2026 (fibre broadband plans from £16.50 a month with no set-up fees; 12-month contract; cancel any time without early exit fees).
Hyperoptic offers on hyperoptic.com, as of 11 November 2026 (150Mb, 500Mb and 1Gb at £15 a month for 15 months in selected buildings, then £19, £24 or £27; first year £180).
BT Full Fibre 150 through our link, as of 11 November 2026 (£25.99 then £29.99 from March 2027 and £33.99 from March 2028; first year £339.88; £0 activation). On bt.com, Full Fibre 150 is £30.99 with a 30Mbps average upload, and Full Fibre 900 is £33.99 then £37.99 from 31 March 2027, with a 110Mbps average upload; first year £435.88.
