Household Bills · Consumer impact update
Ofcom updates social tariff guidance: what to check before your broadband contract ends
Ofcom updated its guidance on social broadband and phone tariffs on 22 June 2026.
Update · Household bills
Published 24 June 2026
GUIDANCE UPDATED · 22 June 2026
Ofcom refreshed its guidance and current list of social broadband and phone tariffs.
CURRENT PRICE RANGE · £10–£24 a month
Ofcom says the current social broadband and phone tariffs on its list range from £10 to £24 a month. Package type and availability vary.
IMPORTANT ELIGIBILITY CHECK · Who holds the account
Ofcom says the person receiving the qualifying benefit needs to be the main person on the contract.
Ofcom’s guidance is a useful starting point, not a guarantee that a household qualifies for a particular package.
What Ofcom’s updated guidance says
Social tariffs are lower-priced broadband and phone packages for people claiming Universal Credit, Pension Credit and some other benefits.
Ofcom says current prices across the social broadband and phone tariffs on its list range from £10 to £24 a month.
Eligibility differs between providers. Ofcom says that Universal Credit may allow a household to access any available social tariff, while other benefits accepted can vary between providers.
The person receiving the benefit needs to be the main person on the contract.
A lower-priced package is only useful if the eligibility, account-holder details and service available at your address are checked before a decision is made.
Why this matters before your broadband contract ends
Your current package may no longer be the right fit
A household’s circumstances can change during a broadband contract. A review before the end date gives you time to check whether a social tariff could now be relevant.
The account holder matters
Ofcom says the person receiving the qualifying benefit needs to be the main person on the contract. That is worth checking before the contract end date arrives.
The details vary by provider and location
Eligibility, availability, speeds and package terms can vary. The useful action is to check the facts that apply to your own household before your current minimum term ends.
The review is not about reacting to a headline. It is about using a known contract date to check what could apply next.
Use the contract end date as a review window
A broadband contract end date is a known date. It gives you a point before the current minimum term ends to check the package, the account details and any support that may be relevant.
- 1
1. Find the end date
Check your provider account, app, bill or correspondence for the date your current minimum term ends.
- 2
2. Review before the date
Check the account holder, household eligibility and the terms that could apply next.
- 3
3. Make your own decision
Use the information available to decide what is right for your household before the current minimum term ends.
Ofcom says that, where a provider offers a social tariff, a customer can switch to it at any time free of charge.
The useful protection is knowing the date before it becomes an out-of-contract problem.
A social tariff can be checked at any time where a provider offers one. Your contract end date is a useful review point, not a deadline for checking whether it could apply.
Four things to check before your broadband contract ends
1. Your exact contract end date
Check your provider account, app, bill or correspondence. You can also ask your provider.
2. Who is named on the account
Check whether the person receiving a qualifying benefit is the main person on the broadband contract.
3. Whether a social tariff is available
Check your current provider’s information and Ofcom’s current social tariff guidance.
4. What applies after your minimum term ends
Check the package, price and terms your provider says will apply after the current minimum term ends.
The aim is not to tell every household what to choose. It is to make sure the contract end date does not pass before the relevant checks have been made.
Keep your broadband contract end date visible before the next terms apply
Onremind does not compare broadband providers, rank packages or tell you which service to choose.
It helps you track the date.
Add your broadband contract end date. Onremind reminds you before the current minimum term ends, giving you time to check what happens next.
Questions households are asking
Social tariffs and your broadband contract end date
Five direct answers about eligibility, account-holder rules and what to check.
Sources and caveat
Ofcom — Social tariffs: Cheaper broadband and phone packages
Last updated 22 June 2026
Ofcom explains who may qualify for social tariffs, current price ranges and the conditions it says apply where a provider offers a social tariff.
Ofcom — How to check whether you’re in or out of contract
Last updated 16 March 2023
Ofcom says a customer may be able to find their contract end date through their provider account, app, bill or correspondence, or by asking their provider.
What this does not mean
Ofcom’s guidance is not an offer or a guarantee that a household qualifies for a particular package. Eligibility, provider availability, coverage and terms vary. This update is general information, not advice or a provider recommendation.