Barriers to Access: Why water and broadband social tariffs aren’t reaching struggling households
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Acknowledgements
This report was written by Jess Kleyn, Rosie Worsdale, Maiya Evans, Emily Lynn and David Mendes da Costa.
Executive summary
The squeeze on living standards in recent years has stretched low-income households’ budgets to breaking point. And with many essential bills rising again this Spring, this pressure isn’t going anywhere. Social tariffs, or other bill support schemes which make it more affordable for those on low incomes to access essential services like energy, water and broadband, can play a major role in shielding the most financially vulnerable consumers from high essential costs.
In order for these schemes to play this role effectively, they need to be designed to ensure that those eligible can actually access the support on offer. But this research reveals that existing water and broadband social tariffs are instead designed in ways that are preventing many from accessing the support they're entitled to. And this means that potentially billions of pounds in social tariff support is going unclaimed each year across these markets. This is in stark contrast to the energy market, where the Warm Home Discount is delivered automatically via government data sharing to the vast majority of eligible households.
Using a range of data insights from our frontline advisers, this research explores the barriers preventing people from accessing social tariff support in the water and broadband markets. Our adviser insights centre the experiences of consumers in need of support to make ends meet - and thus offer a unique window into the different barriers preventing struggling households from accessing the support offered through water and broadband social tariffs. In particular, it highlights the experiences of people in vulnerable circumstances who often turn to us for help navigating administrative systems.
Following a consumer journey approach, we have mapped 11 key barriers across four stages of the consumer journey: awareness, availability, eligibility, and sign-up. Some of these barriers spanned both markets, including low awareness, inconsistent signposting, and difficulty contacting providers. However, there were key differences in some of the barriers consumers face due to the way each markets’ schemes are structured:
In broadband, our advisers said social tariffs were hidden away on provider websites and not proactively offered in phone calls, and exit fees were locking people into existing contracts.
In water, the variability between local suppliers in terms of the processes consumers must go through to apply for social tariffs mean that many struggle to navigate the combination of confusing eligibility criteria, form filling, and providing documents to prove eligibility.
To boost uptake, support schemes should be designed to minimise the need for consumers to act because every step that requires consumer action will mean some miss out. This is true for all consumers but especially so for consumers in vulnerable circumstances—such as people with English as an additional language, mental health issues, or digital exclusion.
Automation is the gold standard when it comes to ensuring a consistently high level of uptake, as it eliminates the need for action on the part of eligible consumers. But even where automation isn’t possible, there are steps that can be taken to streamline consumer journeys and minimise how far action on the part of eligible consumers is needed to access the support they’re entitled to.
Recommendations
Water
1. Defra should implement a single social tariff, using the powers laid out in the Water (Special Measures) Act - this should be achievable by 2026.
2. Ensure that a single social tariff is both built around a principle of ‘automation by design’ and targeted effectively to those who need support. Where there are tensions between automation and targeting, automation should take precedence.
3. ‘Automation by design’ should mean:
a. Beginning with an approach which uses DWP data to automate eligibility assessments and awards for those in receipt of means-tested benefits;
b. Having simple, streamlined processes to capture anyone eligible who is not receiving a passported benefit, accessible both online and over the phone - this should include ensuring that social tariffs are prominent both on supplier websites and in interactions with customer service agents;
c. Working towards a longer-term goal of expanding automation beyond means-tested benefits as new data sharing opportunities become available.
Broadband
1. Ofcom and providers should work together to make social tariffs more prominent when customers engage with providers, either online, on the phone or in store. This should include ensuring they are routinely offered at the moment of sign-up, mentioned in every customer service call related to billing or tariffs, and listing them alongside main packages online.
2. The government should run targeted advertising campaigns to drive awareness of broadband social tariffs – and consider using Job Centre and Universal Credit journals as a contact point for this.
3. DSIT and Ofcom should ensure exit fees are not a barrier to accessing a social tariff. This should include exploring if providers would extend their current voluntary commitments on waiving exit fees to include customers who wish to switch to another provider’s social tariff because it is better suited to their needs.
Introduction
In September last year, we published Securing Life’s Essentials, setting out our vision for a suite of social tariffs across essential markets. The cost-of-living crisis has underlined the need to shield the most financially vulnerable from unexpected price rises, as their budgets were stretched to breaking point by the rising cost of essentials. Looking ahead, there’s likely to be an even more important role for social tariffs in supporting low-income households to afford essential bills:
The energy price cap is increasing by 6.5% this April, pushing the annual energy bill for an average household up to £1,849 per year. Prices are expected to remain above the level they were at before the price spike in 2022 for the foreseeable future.
In the water market, Ofwat's recent price determinations indicate that water bills will rise by an average of £31 per year every year (plus inflation) for the next five years due to infrastructure investment. A significant portion of these rises will hit customer bills in April this year, when annual bills will rise by an average of £123, or 26%. Our nationally representative polling shows that more than 1 in 3 (36%) bill payers said they would find it difficult to afford the average 2025/6 water bill increase [1].
In the broadband market, although inflation-linked price rises have now been banned for broadband providers, companies will still be able to raise prices by significant amounts mid-contract in April, adding to pressure on families on very restricted budgets.
Social tariffs can help provide financial support through this sustained pressure on household bills, but it will only help if people can claim it. Policy in Practice have estimated that as many as 1.6 million households are missing out on water social tariffs, and up to 8.4 million are missing out on broadband social tariffs, amounting to £2.7 billion of support going unclaimed each year [2]. This points to fundamental flaws in the way these schemes are currently operating. We need to solve these issues now, so that the money available reaches consumers’ pockets in the coming years.
So, what is going wrong with broadband and water social tariff design to result in such low uptake rates? And how do we fix it? In the Energy sector, 92% of awards to households eligible for the Warm Home Discount are made automatically through data matching in England & Wales. The level of support and targeting is not perfect, but it is very effective in terms of actually delivering support to those eligible. In the water and broadband markets, schemes operate very differently, with consumers having to come forward and apply for their social tariffs. But low uptake rates suggest something is clearly going wrong along that consumer journey.
The frontline perspective: insights from our advisers
The scale of unclaimed support highlights that existing social tariff schemes aren’t effectively reaching all those who are eligible. Previous polling by Ofcom and the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) has identified broad issues, such as low awareness. In this report, we also present some findings from our own nationally representative polling of over 2,700 people. However, large-scale surveys struggle to capture the full range of barriers in detail.
Therefore, this report also draws on the practical, frontline experience of our advisers, which provides valuable qualitative insights into the challenges people face when accessing social tariffs. Everyday, our advisers help people with managing their budgets, identifying ways to reduce their outgoings and, when it comes to their water and broadband bills, assisting with social tariff applications. In 2024, our services advised 46,869 people about water social tariffs (including WaterSure), and 17,299 people about broadband social tariffs.
Our research is well-placed to capture the experiences of people in vulnerable circumstances. Our advisers regularly assist those who face significant barriers to accessing social tariffs—such as people who are digitally excluded, have English as an additional language, or experience mental health issues. Their experiences form a key part of this report.
To better understand the barriers people face, we undertook the following research:
Reviewed 202 Evidence Forms, or ‘cases of concern’ submitted by our advisers, about clients they helped with water and broadband social tariffs.
Surveyed 163 advisers who had advised our clients on social tariffs.
Conducted three in-depth focus groups at local Citizens Advice offices in different locations across England and Wales, in which a total of 10 advisers participated.
Carried out desk research into the eligibility criteria, sign-up processes, and websites of major water and broadband providers.
It is important to note that this research did not capture an equal or sufficient number of cases about each water or broadband provider, and in some instances, advisers did not specify, or could not recall, which company their experiences were with. As a result, this report does not systematically assess the practices of individual providers. Instead, it presents a broader picture of the state of consumer experiences with social tariffs at a market-level and examines how underlying market-wide structures, such as guidance from regulators, can be improved to achieve better outcomes.
Barriers to uptake along the consumer journey
Our research used a consumer journey framework, following the experience of someone accessing a social tariff from awareness and availability through eligibility and sign-up. We identified 11 key points in the consumer journey where people come up against barriers, which are illustrated in the map below:
The awareness stage in the consumer journey examines whether consumers are aware of social tariffs, how effectively they are advertised, and whether they are signposted to them when in need, such as if they fall into arrears. The availability stage considers whether a social tariff is offered where the consumer lives, whether it meets their needs, and if they can switch without paying a penalty. The eligibility stage assesses whether criteria are clear to understand, and whether inconsistencies between providers mean some people get more support than others. Finally, the sign-up stage looks at whether consumers can complete the necessary forms, easily get in contact with their provider to make an application, and provide the required documents to prove eligibility.
It’s important to note that our research looks specifically at people who are already in the process of receiving holistic help from one of our advice services. Therefore, they are to some extent already on the consumer journey towards a social tariff. There are other people, who we know do not come forward for help, due to barriers such as stigma. These barriers sit outside our consumer journey and so aren’t highlighted in our research, but they are an important additional part of the picture of why many struggling households don’t access the social tariff support they're eligible for.
Most of the barriers we identified along the consumer journey were to some extent present in both markets. However, we also found that key distinctions between the markets emerged in the course of our research:
In the broadband market, the more significant barriers for consumers tend to be towards the beginning of the consumer journey, in the awareness and availability stages.
In the water market, awareness was also a major issue, but because every major water provider offers a social tariff, availability was less problematic. On the other hand, our advisers highlighted significant barriers in the eligibility and sign-up stages, depending on the practices of their water company.
This is why broadband features more prominently in the first two sections of the report, and water more strongly in the second two. As we explain in each of the sections below, these differences appear to be due in large part to differences in how social tariffs in each market are structured which are summarised in the table below.
Social tariff set-up across markets
Broadband:
Market with generally high consumer choice and product variation
Funded by providers
Not every broadband provider offers a social tariff
Companies set the price and speed, resulting in varying value for money
Other benefits include no mid-contract price rises and low set-up costs
Small variation in eligibility criteria, with most using means-tested benefits
Water [3]:
No consumer choice or product variation
Funded by each companies’ consumer cross-subsidy, based on company-specific research into their customers base’s ‘willingness to pay’ [4]
Every major water provider offers a social tariff
Companies set the eligibility criteria and level of discount
Large variation schemes due to differing size of cross-subsidy pots available across companies
In the following sections, therefore, we focus more on broadband in our exploration of the awareness and availability stages of the consumer journey, and more on water when considering the eligibility and sign-up stages - as this helps to identify what kinds of solutions to poor uptake might be most appropriate for each market. However, we also highlight throughout the extent to which the specific issues identified apply across both markets.
Awareness
Key findings:
Awareness of social tariffs is low across both markets, but it is particularly low in broadband.
When customers fall behind on bills, our polling suggested signposting practices for social tariff support are inconsistent in both markets.
Our advisers highlighted specific practices they felt broadband providers needed to improve to increase awareness – including prominent display of social tariffs on websites and more proactive customer service agents.
1. Am I already aware of social tariffs?
Many eligible consumers are missing out on support simply because they don’t know it exists. This is the case for both water and broadband, as shown in existing polling by Ofcom and CCW.
According to the latest data published by Ofcom, only 3 in 10 (31%) of those eligible for broadband social tariffs haven't heard of them. CCW found that 45% of people were aware that local water companies offered reduced bills schemes, though numbers are not directly comparable as CCW don’t look specifically at eligible households.
Our own survey research also identified lack of awareness to be a key factor in people not applying for both broadband and water social tariffs. We asked people who had never applied, or considered applying for, a broadband or water social tariff why this was - and for both markets, lack of awareness was the most common reason cited.
Our advisers echoed concerns about low awareness. They noted that in their experience, social tariffs are much less well known than other forms of support they deal with, such as benefits and fuel vouchers.
“In just over the year I've worked here, I've never had someone come in and say “I've heard about social tariffs, can we look into that?” Compare that to what I sort of deal with more generally, which is other benefits like PIP or UC, it's not even close to anyone coming in about social tariffs.” - Citizens Advice Adviser, Focus Group
2. Are social tariffs advertised effectively?
Our advisers felt that low awareness was linked to a lack of proactive promotion by providers. 82% of the advisers we surveyed agreed that water and broadband providers not effectively advertising social tariffs was a key reason why clients weren’t aware of social tariffs.
In our focus groups, there were particular concerns about a lack of proactivity from broadband providers in promoting their social tariffs. According to Ofcom data, fewer than 1 in 5 (17%) of eligible people who had heard about broadband social tariffs had heard about them through their broadband provider. Our advisers felt broadband social tariffs were not prominently displayed on provider websites, often hidden away and difficult for consumers to find.
“Awareness of broadband social tariffs is still terrible, they just don't seem to have gotten through and it doesn't seem like companies do anything to promote it.” - Citizens Advice Adviser, Adviser Survey
“Unless the client's attention is drawn to a broadband social tariff they generally are unaware of them and the tariff is not prominent on the supplier's website.” - Citizens Advice Adviser, Adviser Survey
We looked at how broadband providers display social tariffs on their websites, and what we found was largely consistent with what advisers told us. Looking at the top 10 broadband providers who do offer social tariffs, 8 do not feature them on their main broadband deals page. It’s reasonable to expect someone on a low-income who was looking for an affordable deal, and didn’t know about social tariffs, to navigate to this page and find the information they need there. Instead, information on social tariffs is usually located under a Help with bills or support page. This means that unless a consumer knew specifically to search for social tariffs, they may struggle to find them. 2 of the top 10 providers who offer social tariffs do feature them on the main broadband deals page of their website; however in both cases it is positioned separately from the main packages, and therefore easier for consumers to miss when browsing.
Water providers’ social tariffs, in contrast, were generally easier to find on their websites, and often advertised on their homepages.
3. Am I signposted to a social tariff when in financial difficulty?
As noted above, there are issues with the prominence of social tariffs, particularly in broadband. However, when customers fall behind on their broadband bills, providers have a clear indicator that a customer may be struggling financially. This presents a crucial opportunity to direct those in need toward social tariffs. Despite this, our survey research revealed significant inconsistencies in signposting to support in both markets.
In total, 44% of people behind on their broadband bills were not contacted or signposted to social tariffs by their provider. Even when individuals reached out to their suppliers for help, 12% were still not signposted to social tariffs. Findings were broadly similar for water: 39% of those who had fallen behind on their water bill in the previous year reported not being signposted to social tariff support by their water company - including 14% who weren’t signposted even after contacting their provider for support [5].
While polling above suggests that practices are similarly mixed in both markets, the advisers in our focus groups had particular concerns about broadband customer service agents' interactions, who they felt often failed to proactively identify eligibility. Given the low awareness of these schemes, this raises the question: how are customers supposed to access a social tariff if they don’t already know about it? Our advisers had the perception that water customer service agents routinely were more likely to proactively ask whether customers receive benefits. In broadband, they felt many people who could qualify for a social tariff end up being sold more expensive packages.
“[In my experience] with broadband providers, they never ask what your income or vulnerabilities are, so clients don’t realise that Universal Credit will get you a cheaper tariff. They don’t know because they don’t ask. By that point, you are paying £70 per month when you shouldn’t be.” - Citizens Advice Adviser, Focus Group
“When I do contact clients about broadband social tariffs they often ask 'why didn't they tell me about this when I started my new contract?'" - Citizens Advice Adviser, Focus Group
Availability
Key findings:
Availability is a blocker for a significant number of broadband consumers who are unable to benefit from a social tariff because their current provider doesn’t offer one.
Exit fees for existing contracts intersect with limited provider choice and varying suitability of packages to create barriers.
Availability is an issue for a fewer number of consumers in the water market, as every major provider offers one, with the exception of New Appointments and Variance (NAV) water companies with small operations in specific sites.
4. Is a social tariff available where I live?
Ofcom has encouraged broadband companies to offer a social tariff, but as mentioned above, not every company does, and this posed a barrier for some customers.
Providers can choose whether to offer a social tariff and, if they do, they are free to set the connection speed and price point. While the majority do now offer a social tariff, there are some smaller broadband companies—and even one of the top five providers [6]—who still do not offer one at all.
At first glance, it may seem that consumers can simply compare social tariff packages among different providers, select the best option for their needs, and choose that provider. However, our research reveals that the reality is more complicated than that – with exit fees intersecting with limited provider choice and varying suitability of packages to create barriers.
Firstly, some people live in areas where provider choice is limited. 1 in 10 advisers we surveyed said that there were broadband infrastructure issues in their area that prevented people from accessing social tariffs.
“One client I spoke to recently lives in an area that only one broadband provider supplies to and the provider does not offer a social tariff." - Citizens Advice Adviser, Adviser Survey
Our advisers told us these problems most affected people living in rural areas and on new build estates, where limited broadband infrastructure can lead to limited consumer choice. Recent research by Point Topic showed that the level of competition of internet providers varies significantly and people living in urban areas benefit from much more choice of providers.
Data is not available to understand the number of consumers who may be being prevented from accessing a social tariff because of limited provider choice in their area. However, where we do see examples of this happening amongst our clients, the savings these people miss out on can have a significant impact on their budget.
Elena’s Story [7]
Elena came to us as she was struggling with her debts. She is a single mother living with her 3 year old child. She works part-time and receives Universal Credit to top up her income. She has household arrears of £3,000. Our debt adviser went through a budget with her and was looking for ways to maximise her income and cut expenditure. Our adviser discovered that she was paying £50 per month for broadband and suggested she switch to a social tariff to cut costs. After looking into her options, our adviser discovered that her provider did not offer a social tariff. Elena lives on a newly built estate, where there is only one internet provider. If she lived in a different area and could get a broadband social tariff, she could likely reduce her monthly outgoings by around £30 a month, or £360 per year [8]. But as things stand, she’s stuck paying high monthly bills for her broadband, and having to cut back elsewhere.
Availability of social tariffs is less of an issue in the water market, as all of the main water and sewerage companies have to offer a social tariff. However, our advisers did identify some specific issues with New Appointments and Variance (NAV) water companies - smaller suppliers approved by Ofwat to supply water to specific sites instead of the main water company in an area, typically new developments. Unlike major providers, NAV companies do not always offer a social tariff [9]. In our Evidence Form review, we found several cases where advisers had come across clients who were missing out on social tariff support for their water bill due to living in a new build estate with a NAV water supplier:
"I have a disabled client who has moved into a new-build property with a housing association. On the new estate they use [a NAV water company] for supply and [an established water company] for waste water. This is my third client with this issue.
There is no social tariff for people on a low income from the NAV water supply company. They offer Watersure for people with disabilities and high usage but no tariff like the waste water company which offers a huge discount for consumers on a low income. This client will not be able to change their water supplier and therefore is expected to pay far higher costs for water than if they were solely with their waste water company.” - Adviser Evidence Form
5. Do the available social tariffs meet my needs?
The speed and price of tariffs vary between broadband providers. The Good Things Foundation advises that speeds of 50-67 Mbps work best for larger households (3-5 people) who need to use multiple smart devices for activities like video calling or downloading at one time. As the table below shows, the majority of packages offered by the top five providers do meet this standard, but there are some exceptions.
Our advisers noted that some offers include connection speeds that are, or are perceived to be, too slow for larger households or families with children. Our survey research revealed that among people who were likely eligible for broadband social tariffs but had not applied, 1 in 10 said the connection speed offered was too slow for their internet needs.
“With [broadband] social tariffs they’re not getting the same quality because they’re paying a reduced rate and some clients don’t want to lose the quality that they’re paying for, if they have to use the internet to help with schooling etc” - Citizens Advice Adviser, Focus Group
The majority of the social tariff packages offer decent connection speeds that should be adequate for larger households. However, advisers said that a minority of the packages would be suitable only for single people, who don’t use the internet for anything other than basic tasks like web-browsing and emails. Where providers offer two price points for social tariffs, advisers said large families would need to opt for the upper price bracket. They noted that some clients had the perception that some social tariffs did not offer good value for money. For instance, some felt higher-priced social tariffs often did not offer a significant enough discount compared to regular packages to justify the trade-off in speed.
“The big saving is if you’re going on to the cheapest one, but you’ve got to be willing to be able to connect but not really do too much, and that’s not suitable for a lot of people.” - Citizens Advice Adviser, Focus Group
Another issue raised by advisers was that lots of people bought broadband as part of bundles, which included other services like television services. Sometimes, they felt this offered them the best value for money for the services they purchased. Others on especially tight budgets might choose to rely on mobile data for internet access in the home, which they could get more cheaply. But how viable this option is depends on a number of factors, e.g. quality of mobile signal and the number of people in the household who need to use the connection. Consumer decision making around purchasing internet access, and associated bundles, where income is severely restricted needs to be explored further to understand how social tariff packages can be best designed to deliver support.
6. Can I access a social tariff without paying a penalty?
Our advisers told us that some people find themselves locked into existing contracts, unable to switch to a social tariff without being asked to pay steep exit fees. While Ofcom has encouraged providers to waive fees for existing customers switching to their own social tariffs, this does not extend to those switching from one provider to another’s social tariff. In these cases, Ofcom’s website suggests customers may be able to request a fee waiver to switch to a social tariff. However, our advisers said they still come across cases where customers are asked to pay high exit fees from current providers who do not offer a social tariff. While we are not able to give estimates of prevalence because our research did not look systematically at how often this is happening, we found reports of clients being asked for exit fees in evidence forms, our adviser survey, and our focus groups.
For those struggling to make ends meet, the upfront cost of leaving their current provider is out of the question, leaving them trapped in their current contracts.
“Yesterday, I spoke to someone who was with [an internet provider who doesn’t offer a social tariff]. She knew about social tariffs and rang them up, and was told ‘give us £200 and we’ll let you go’.” - Citizens Advice Adviser, Focus Group
“[A person] might be in a situation where they are in work but it’s up and down. They’ve signed into this contract that they then can’t get out. Nine times out of ten, if they are already in a contract, they don't know about the social tariff.” - Citizens Advice Adviser, Focus Group
Not only does this sometimes put bill support out of reach for the very people social tariffs are designed to help, but our advisers highlighted that it creates additional challenges for people in vulnerable circumstances who would struggle to switch independently. As the quote below explains, this means that our advisers have limited power to help them at the time they are accessing our service for help.
"You can identify when someone may be eligible for a cheaper broadband tariff but they might be with another provider who has locked them into a contract. You can advise people to make a note in their calendars to switch when the contract ends, but some clients are unlikely to be able to follow up on this advice [for reasons such as digital exclusion, language or mental health issues].” - Citizens Advice Adviser, Focus Group
We want everyone to be able to access a broadband social tariff which helps them access this market and meets their internet needs. There are good social tariff offers from most top broadband providers, but it’s the way exit fees interact with limited provider choice and varying suitability of packages that creates availability barriers for consumers. The impact of a minority of providers not offering a social tariff—or offering ones that don't meet a household’s needs—would be far less severe if consumers weren’t blocked by exit fees.
Eligibility
Key findings:
Across local water companies' social tariff schemes, there is a wide variety of eligibility criteria, leading to inconsistent levels of support across England & Wales.
Some local water schemes are overly complex, making it difficult for people to understand what support they qualify for.
Broadband eligibility criteria is generally more consistent, as most providers use means-tested benefits, but this means some low-income customers who don’t receive benefits lose out.
7. Can I understand the eligibility criteria?
There is wide variety in the design of local water provider’s social tariff eligibility criteria. Our desk research revealed the extent of variation in the local water social tariff landscape. We examined the local offers from the 16 major water providers in England and Wales. Three providers operate two schemes, resulting in a total of 19 local water schemes.
Across the 19 schemes, the eligibility criteria and the way discounts were applied varied widely. When it comes to eligibility, 5 schemes used an annual income limit, 4 were based on individual income and expenditure assessments, 2 used means-test benefits, while 8 were a hybrid of these criteria. As for calculating the discount, 7 apply a bill cap, 3 use a percentage discount, 7 are tapered, 1 offers a discount on charges for water used, while 1 offers a discount of a fixed amount. The interactive map below demonstrates how these criteria look across the country.
You can download our data for ‘Social Tariffs by Water Provider in England and Wales Map’ as a CSV file.
Whether local schemes were simple or difficult to understand varied significantly across the country. Where criteria were more complex, jargon and the existence of multiple schemes could create confusion about whether an individual qualified for support – and how much of a reduction they would receive.
“There are a number of schemes and the criteria can be difficult to understand for clients.” - Citizens Advice Adviser, Adviser Survey
Depending on the local scheme, there was sometimes a lack of clarity over income and expenditure assessments, including how they were assessed and whether particular benefits were excluded or taken into account. This led to confusion for customers, advisers, and we heard sometimes even water companies’ customer service agents.
Amy’s Story
Amy came to us for support with her water costs. She is a single parent living with her young daughter. She receives Universal Credit, including the housing element. Amy is struggling to afford her water bill of £56 per month. She has tried applying to her water provider’s social tariff scheme twice but has been refused both times, despite Amy’s income falling below the eligibility threshold. Our adviser investigated this and discovered that her water provider incorrectly included Amy’s housing element as part of her income. The housing element should have been excluded, as it is not considered disposable income. Amy is finding it difficult to manage her household bills and is living on a negative budget. If she is accepted onto the social tariff scheme, her water bill could be reduced by 50%. This could save her £28 per month, or £336 per year, providing some much-needed financial relief.
As the quote below demonstrates, the patchwork of different local support schemes complicates the landscape significantly for advisers who work across more than one water provider catchment, creating multiple sets of complex criteria that they have to support consumers to try and navigate.
“The two local water companies have delivered training to our office to help with the applications but the online information for clients is not clear at all. One company excludes certain elements of benefits (e.g. they count UC but not LCWRA, carer's element or housing costs) which could be very confusing. The other company has a sliding scale of reductions and their calculations never seem to match ours (despite us using a calculator provided by them).” - Citizens Advice Adviser, Adviser Survey
Our desk research of water providers’ websites echoed advisers' concerns about some scheme criteria being difficult to understand. Below is an illustrative example of how eligibility can be presented to customers, and the kinds of questions they may be left asking as a result.
Water providers’ websites do use an empathetic tone and encourage people to call if they need help. However, information on schemes should still be clear and transparent to the consumer, so they can easily understand the benefits to them and whether they qualify.
8. Am I eligible for support?
For consumers, the variation in local schemes has also created an unfair postcode lottery, whereby individuals in identical financial situations receive different levels of support depending on where they live. The example below shows what one of our clients’ financial circumstances would entitle them to, depending on where they live in the country.
Postcode Lottery: An illustrative example
Jerome lives with his 6-year old son. He works part-time alongside childcare. His income from part-time work is topped up by Universal Credit, totaling just under £19,000 per year. He is not yet in water arrears but is finding it incredibly difficult to make his monthly budget add up, as the cost of monthly bills seem to just keep rising. Struggling to cope, he is ending up further into his overdraft each month.
Jerome goes looking for additional help he might be entitled to and hears about water social tariffs. Depending on where he lives in the country, Jerome would be entitled to a totally different level of support:
In Portsmouth, his annual bill would be capped at £91.12 per year.
In Bradford, his annual bill would be capped at £364 per year.
In Liverpool, he would not receive any reduction. The average annual bill in this area is £481.
In the broadband market, eligibility is generally much more uniform, with almost all providers using receipt of means-tested benefits as the criterion for eligibility. There remained some instances of confusion around which benefit elements counted, but generally, the criteria were easier for the consumer to understand. However, there was a trade off between clear criteria and targeting everyone who needed support with their bill–as using only means-tested benefits meant that people on low-incomes but who don’t qualify for means-tested benefits miss out on social tariffs.
Our advisers also pointed out that ‘passporting’ of eligibility for social tariffs means that those who are eligible for, but not currently claiming, various means-tested benefits will lose out on eligibility for social tariffs as a result. Policy in Practice estimates that there are around 1.4 million missed claims for Universal Credit, and 800,000 missed claims for Pension Credit, in 2024/25. This means that upwards of 2 million people are missing out on access to cheaper broadband via a social tariff, because of not claiming the qualifying means-tested benefits.
Sign-Up
Key findings:
Local water provider social tariffs varied, so there was also a postcode lottery of sign-up processes.
Form filling, difficulties reaching providers, and documentation requirements were particular barriers–and advisers stressed that even simple processes could be a barrier for particular groups.
Some clients experienced difficulties navigating phone calls with broadband customer service agents to request a social tariff.
9. Can I fill in the necessary forms?
When it came to water social tariff applications, filling in application forms was another barrier highlighted by advisers. The length of forms varies by provider, and some are more burdensome than others. However, even short forms can be difficult for people with English as an additional language, those who are digitally excluded, or people with mental health issues [12].
Duplication of information across multiple forms was another concern. People seeking financial support often have to complete similar applications for different schemes and, when it comes to water social tariffs, there’s a couple of features which create even further duplication. In some areas where water and wastewater services are provided by separate companies, individuals sometimes have to apply separately for each social tariff. Additionally, some schemes require reapplication every 12 months to reassess financial eligibility, creating challenges for those unable to navigate the process independently and adding to the overall administrative burden.
“Separate forms for 'low income fixed-rate' clean water and waste water tariffs, clients must apply for both.” - Citizens Advice Adviser, Adviser Survey
“The [water provider] social tariff only lasts for 12 months and they're told they need to call back up and reapply every year. This is not really feasible for some clients who struggle with health conditions such as memory loss as they may not remember to contact their water supplier to apply again.” - Citizens Advice Adviser, Focus Group
Advisers also highlighted the emotional toll application processes can take on clients who are already struggling financially. Repeatedly discussing their financial circumstances can be difficult, particularly where full income and expenditure assessments are required. At least five local water schemes require a full income and expenditure assessment, a process advisers estimated typically take at least 30 minutes over the phone.
“They require the client to fill out a budget that some struggling with their finances find daunting.” - Citizens Advice Adviser, Adviser Survey
“People that are overwhelmed with bills feel it is too stressful to complete even if the form itself is relatively easy.” - Citizens Advice Adviser, Adviser Survey
10. Are the channels to apply accessible to me?
Our advisers generally said that the more diverse options channels give for sign-up, the better, as some people might struggle with phone conversations, while others don’t have online access.
When it came to water, some advisers found their local water providers easy to contact, and highlighted positive experiences with customer service agents being friendly and helpful. However, others noted that communication channels weren’t always straightforward for everyone. A key barrier identified was digital exclusion. Our review of provider websites found that out of 19 schemes, 17 offered an online application, 13 allowed applications by phone, and only 4 accepted applications by post. Advisers highlighted that entire applications—or even just parts, such as submitting evidence—were often online. While this may be straightforward for those with digital skills, it can be significantly more challenging for those without.
”Client is elderly and under a lot of emotional and physical stress as she has been diagnosed with Cancer but water companies don't make it easy for pensioners to benefit from discounts by informing them via the post. Many pensioners don't have access and can't use the internet. Clients will lose out on financial help that may be available to them. In the long run, they will pay more than they need to, which means they have less money for other essential things.” - Adviser Evidence Form
Another issue advisers highlighted was the wait times when calling water providers. The Consumer Council for Water (CCW) surveyed consumers on their experiences with customer service, finding that satisfaction with the ease of reaching someone who could help ranged from 58% to 94% across providers—demonstrating significant variability within the sector.
Advisers noted that difficulty getting through by phone can be frustrating for clients and may discourage them from seeking support. It also limits advisers’ ability to help clients switch to a social tariff within the course of a time-limited advice session.
“I would say [the water social tariff application] is easy for myself to complete, however this can be difficult for those without access to the internet and have limited [digital] capability. The local water provider does not provide easy contact over the telephone with issues regarding the application.” - Citizens Advice Adviser, Adviser Survey
When it comes to broadband, providers tend to direct customers to call up and request a social tariff over the phone to sign up. While phone contact is a better channel for those who are digitally excluded, our advisers said that having to call and request a social tariff creates a barrier for those who are less confident making phone calls—disproportionately affecting certain groups, including people with mental health issues and those with English as an additional language.
“Clients have found it difficult to explain what they want to the [broadband] provider.” - Citizens Advice Adviser, Adviser Survey
“People suffer with anxiety around phone calls or can get confused on the phone understanding the information and what they are signing up to. In my experience if there is ever a long hold time people often give up. ” - Citizens Advice Adviser, Focus Group
Previous research by the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute has found that phone calls are by far the communication method that people found the most difficult to use for communicating with essential service providers during a period of poor mental health. Our recent research, which surveyed people with lived experience of mental health problems, found that respondents who had haggled with their telecoms provider over the phone to get a better deal faced challenges at various stages of the consumer journey – with 77% of those who tried to haggle reporting that they struggle to remember what’s been said in the course of the phone call.
When it came to requesting a broadband social tariff over the phone, our advisers also said customers did not always find it straightforward to explain what they wanted to customer service agents. Casey’s story below shows that people can still come unstuck during the course of the phone call, even when they’ve had the support of one of our advisers signposting them towards a social tariff.
Casey’s Story
Casey came to us for advice, as she was struggling with her finances. Our adviser went through ways she could reduce her expenditure and saw she was paying a high monthly amount for her broadband bill. Since she fit the eligibility criteria, our adviser told her about broadband social tariffs. Casey was mid-contract, so our advisers asked her to call up her broadband provider to find out when her contract ended, so she could switch to a social tariff once the contract ended. When Casey called her broadband provider to sign up, she was asking about a reduction in her bills but had forgotten the name of social tariffs, and instead got talked into another contract by the customer service agent. It was only when Casey emailed our adviser about her new deal did she become aware it was not a social tariff she’d been switched to. Luckily, our adviser told Casey this within her 14 days cooling off period, and she was able to cancel the contract. However, she may need to seek help again from our service to switch once her contract finishes.
11. Do I have the required documents?
The final significant obstacle to accessing social schemes we identified was the documentation required to prove eligibility.
Advisers told us this is a barrier struggle for those who are digitally excluded. For example, Universal Credit recipients must log into their online account, download or screenshot their latest statement, and then email or share it with their water provider. People who are digitally excluded struggle with every stage of this process. With payslips and bank statements also now predominantly provided online, providing proof of these comes with the same difficulties.
“There is an online form where they need to upload three months worth of bank statements and their benefit proof. This can be difficult for people” - Citizens Advice Adviser, Adviser Survey
Among water providers, at least 9 out of 19 local schemes need proof of income and/or benefits, with many requiring documents dated within the last three months.
The DWP (Department for Work and Pensions) has set up an API that allows water companies to verify whether their customers receive benefits without requiring them to submit documents. Despite this, we heard that some providers are still asking customers to provide documents as proof of their benefit income.
Kevin’s Story
Kevin and his wife came to one of our foodbank outreaches, as they were struggling to afford essential costs, including household bills and groceries. After suffering a stroke, Kevin was no longer able to work and his wife also stopped working to care for him, leading to a sudden drop in income.
Our advisers helped them claim the benefits they were entitled to and signposted them to their local water provider’s social tariff, which they were eligible for. Since they had limited digital skills and English was not their first language, our advisers had to help them submit their online application. They assisted Kevin and his wife in logging into their Universal Credit account and taking a screenshot of their monthly payment to submit as evidence.
However, the water company later requested a downloaded statement with a more detailed breakdown of their Universal Credit payment. Unable to do this independently, Kevin and his wife had to return to our service for further support. Between Kevin’s recovery and the language barriers they were navigating, this additional administrative hurdle only added to their challenges.
In comparison, 4 out of the top 10 broadband providers with a social tariff ask for documentation to be provided. However, when you look at this with market share in mind, the 4 broadband providers with the top market share all use the API provided by DWP to check eligibility. In practice, this means that the vast majority of people applying for a broadband social tariff won’t be asked to provide documentation–effectively removing this barrier.
Summary of barriers
There aren’t just one or two major barriers blocking access to social tariffs—instead, a myriad of pitfalls across the customer journey collectively contribute to low uptake. Barriers are summarised market by market below, with case studies showing the positive impacts social tariff discounts can have when clients successfully access the support.
In the broadband market, existing awareness is low and social tariffs are poorly advertised and hard to find on broadband company websites. Where customers make contact with broadband providers, customer service agents are often not proactively identifying eligibility and signposting is inconsistent for people behind on bills. In addition, consumers are still being blocked from social tariffs by providers who do not offer one and asking for steep exit fees. In addition, there is a problem with the suitability of some packages, which means they are insufficient to support the internet needs of larger families.
Patrick’s Story: Getting a broadband social tariff
Patrick came to us for support after fleeing an abusive relationship. He is now a single parent living with his two, 9-year-old children. Patrick’s sudden change in circumstances has had a negative impact on both his mental health and his financial situation. He is struggling to afford his essential bills, including his broadband bill of £80 per month. Patrick recently started receiving Universal Credit and was unaware he now qualified for cheaper broadband. By switching to a broadband social tariff, he was able to reduce his broadband bill to £20 per month, saving a substantial £60 per month or £720 per year. This support provided much-needed financial relief during a challenging time, helping Patrick better support himself and his two children.
In the water market, the picture is different. Awareness remains low but stronger regulatory targets and guidance have contributed to a view of more positive customer service interactions around social tariffs with certain water providers. With all major water companies offering social tariffs, except small NAV companies, availability is a much smaller issue. However, variation in local schemes not only creates the well-known postcode lottery in support but also leads to a postcode lottery of processes. Depending on your provider, eligibility criteria can be confusing to navigate, and sign-up processes often remain overly burdensome and inaccessible for certain groups.
Jonathan’s Story: Getting a water social tariff
Jonathan came to us for support as he was struggling financially. He lives with his adult son and is unable to work while waiting for knee surgery. He is claiming Universal Credit, but finding it difficult to cover basic essentials like rent and water bills and has built up rent arrears. His monthly water bill is £49.75, and he wasn’t aware that help was available. By applying for his water provider’s social tariff, he was able to reduce his water bill to £24.88 per month, saving £24.87 per month and almost £300 per year. This support provided much-needed financial relief during a difficult time, helping Jonathan manage his expenses while focusing on his recovery. Even a small reduction in his bills means he is less likely to fall further into rent arrears or can put the extra money toward paying them off.
Overcoming barriers: recommendations
Every step in the process of accessing social tariffs where the onus is on the consumer to take action - either by finding out about social tariffs in the first place, working out what options are available in their area, navigating complex eligibility criteria or providing evidence in support of an application - means lower uptake. This is true for all consumers, but especially so for consumers in vulnerable circumstances who are disproportionately disadvantaged in the current consumer journey – such as those with English as an additional language, mental health issues, and those who are digitally excluded.
Any approach to boosting uptake for social tariffs, therefore, should be built around a principle of reducing as far as possible the need for consumers to take action to access the support they’re entitled to. Auto-enrollment offers the possibility to completely eliminate all the barriers we’ve identified at once, as the need for consumer action is totally removed. This is without doubt the best approach to designing social tariffs to maximise uptake - but where automation isn’t possible, we should be thinking about ways to streamline the application process as far as possible, to minimise how much action is needed on the part of eligible consumers to access support.
For both water and broadband social tariffs, then, the key question is: which stages of the current consumer journey can be streamlined or removed by rethinking how schemes are designed and delivered? The answer to this question will differ for each market, as we spell out below.
Water
The government’s Water (Special Measures) Act is a promising step towards transforming the water social tariff system. Water companies currently have a patchwork of different schemes, all with different eligibility criteria, level of customer service, and accessibility of sign-up, making the consumer journey extremely variable. The new legislation allows for the creation of a standardised social tariff across the market, that eliminates both the postcode lottery of available support, and the postcode lottery of processes, that consumers are currently subject to. This offers an ideal opportunity to build a social tariff scheme across the market that is designed to minimise as far as possible the need for consumers to take action to access the support they're eligible for.
Automation should be at the heart of the design of a new standardised social tariff. The Water (Special Measures) Act establishes a clear legal gateway for data sharing between the government and water providers. This enables auto-enrollment for all consumers whose eligibility can be assessed via existing government data. A successful model for this already exists. The Warm Home Discount energy scheme uses DWP data on means-tested benefits and data on housing energy requirements, matching it with energy supplier customers to apply a rebate to their bill. In England and Wales, 92% of Warm Home Discount payments were successfully made automatically through data matching last year.
While the WHD provides a blueprint for auto-enrollment to those on means-tested benefits, it’s important to note that this can be quite a crude way of targeting support to those who are struggling to afford their water bill. Analysis by the Institute of Public Policy Research as part of this project has noted that if eligibility for social tariffs is defined only in relation to receipt of means-tested benefits, there will be significant numbers of both low-income households at risk of poverty who will miss out, and middle-income households who would receive support but may be in less acute need. It’s important that eligibility for social tariffs is set in a way that targets need as accurately as possible, otherwise funding will be unsustainable. For more optimal targeting, then, there may be a need to set eligibility criteria for a standardised water social tariff that can both reach people outside of the benefits system, and refine the cohort of benefit recipients who are eligible.
But crucially, this is compatible with designing with automation in mind. The data sharing infrastructure is already in place to achieve auto-enrollment for those in receipt of means-tested benefits - including targeting support within this group to those below a certain income threshold, for example, or setting different tiers of support. Automation is the gold standard when it comes to ensuring consistently high rates of support actually being delivered to people who need it. The objective therefore should be to ensure that however eligibility is set, eligibility assessment can be automated for those on means-tested benefits at the outset of the new scheme.
However eligibility is set, for those outside the benefits system whose eligibility assessments can’t currently be automated, there should be simplified sign-up routes, accessible either online or over the phone to ensure accessibility for both those who are digitally excluded and those who struggle to communicate over the phone. Given the issues with duplication and form filling highlighted by our research, this should be made as streamlined as possible. This system could also be linked to Apply Once benefit calculators, as outlined in Policy in Practice’s Art of the Possible, and targeted advertising campaigns raising the profile of water social tariffs will play a role to get those who cannot yet be auto-enrolled to manually sign up.
The longer-term goal, however, should be for enrollment for this second group to be automated as new data sharing possibilities open up. For example, it may become possible in the medium-term to assess household-level income via HMRC data, in which case auto-enrollment of households not in receipt of means-tested benefits would be achievable.
Key recommendations: Water
Defra should implement a single social tariff, using the powers laid out in the Water (Special Measures) Act - this should be achievable by 2026.
Ensure that a single social tariff is both built around a principle of ‘automation by design’ and targeted effectively to those who need support. Where there are tensions between automation and targeting, automation should take precedence.
‘Automation by design’ should mean:
Beginning with an approach which uses DWP data to automate eligibility assessments and awards for those in receipt of means-tested benefits;
Having simple, streamlined processes to capture anyone eligible who is not receiving a passported benefit, accessible both online and over the phone - this should include ensuring that social tariffs are prominent both on supplier websites and in interactions with customer service agents;
Working towards a longer-term goal of expanding automation beyond means-tested benefits as new data sharing opportunities become available
Broadband
While there is a clear path towards an auto-enrolment system in water, for broadband - where social tariffs are products offered in a competitive market rather than straightforward bill discounts - automation is neither feasible nor desirable. To improve uptake of broadband social tariffs, therefore, action should focus on measures that tackle the most significant individual barriers we’ve identified, and reduce as far as possible throughout the consumer journey the actions needed on the part of consumers to access this support.
Low awareness is one of the key barriers to be overcome. Broadband social tariffs clearly lack prominence at the outset of the consumer journey to purchase a broadband package - both on provider websites and as part of phone interactions with customer service agents. Ofcom’s Treating Vulnerable Customers Fairly guidance touches on promoting social tariffs, but our research suggests it is not producing optimal practice from a consumer perspective. It is unclear whether the problem lies with the guidance itself lacking clarity, or whether the guidance itself isn’t strong enough [13]. But in the context of the government’s newly launched Digital Inclusion Action Plan acknowledging that social tariffs are a key safety net for protecting low income households against digital exclusion, Ofcom and providers should be working together to make it easier for consumers to find out about social tariffs when interacting with broadband providers.
In practice, we think this means when a customer contacts a provider to set up a broadband contract over the phone, customer service agents should routinely raise awareness of social tariffs and explore eligibility. This would only take a short time in a phone call, and should be easily implementable through staff training. Likewise, if a customer searches for deals online, social tariffs should be prominently displayed on their website alongside other offers. This would ensure that eligible consumers, many of whom are not aware of these discounts, would have a fair chance to benefit from broadband bill support.
To further improve awareness, the government could also run targeted campaigns to notify people on means-tested benefits about broadband social tariffs, for example, using Job Centres or Universal Credit journals as contact points.
Another significant barrier that makes it harder for consumers to access broadband social tariffs is the variation in what is offered as a social tariff product between providers. People locked into contracts with providers that don’t offer a social tariff, residents in new-build estates or rural areas with lower provider choice, and customers whose provider’s tariff doesn’t meet their needs all face disadvantages here. The most effective solution would be a standardized broadband social tariff available to all eligible households, regardless of their provider. However, this is more difficult to achieve in a competitive market with a high degree of product differentiation like broadband than it is in a market like water.
If a standardised tariff is not feasible, Ofcom should firstly ensure all providers are following its current recommendation to waive exit fees for customers who ask to move to the provider’s own social tariff. But they should also explore asking providers to also waive fees for customers switching to a social tariff with a different provider which better serves their needs, even if their current provider offers a social tariff. Without exit fees, consumers would be in a better position to take advantage of the most competitive social tariff offers. This would significantly reduce barriers at the availability stage of the broadband social tariff journey.
Key recommendations: Broadband
Ofcom and providers should work together to make social tariffs more prominent when customers engage with providers, either online, on the phone or in store. This should include ensuring they are routinely offered at the moment of sign-up, mentioned in every customer service call related to billing or tariffs, and listing them alongside main packages online.
The government should run targeted advertising campaigns to drive awareness of broadband social tariffs – and consider using Job Centre and Universal Credit journals as a contact point for this.
DSIT and Ofcom should ensure exit fees are not a barrier to accessing a social tariff. This should include exploring if providers would extend their current voluntary commitments on waiving exit fees to include customers who wish to switch to another provider’s social tariff because it is better suited to their needs.
Methods
Review of Evidence Forms:
Evidence forms are submitted by our advisers as examples of cases of concern. We reviewed 202 cases submitted between 1st September 2023 and 1st September 2024 related to water and broadband social tariffs. These cases were systematically analysed using a thematic coding framework, to identify common issues. We also sourced case studies from this review process.
Survey of advisers:
We asked questions about social tariffs in our October Network Panel Survey. This is a monthly survey which goes to advisers working in local offices across our network. Of 292 respondents, 163 advisers said they had advised clients on water and broadband social tariffs. To these advisers, we asked a series of multiple choice and open text questions. The open text questions were analysed thematically. Key quotes were transcribed and are used throughout the report.
Focus groups:
We conducted three focus groups at different local offices. A total of 10 advisers who regularly helped clients with social tariffs took part. They lasted approximately 1.5 hours each and followed a consumer journey framework, they were designed for advisers to reflect on their experiences with helping clients access social tariffs at each stage of the journey in detail. These focus groups were analysed thematically. It is important to note that groups who require additional help navigating the social tariff system are likely to be overrepresented at our service. Therefore, findings from the focus groups and survey of advisers do not represent a representative range of consumers' experience but are more likely to highlight the experiences of those who struggle most.
Desk research:
Our desk research looked at the eligibility and generosity of social tariff schemes as designed by water and broadband providers.In our analysis of water providers, we categorised schemes to the best of our ability considering the high degree of complexity present in some providers’ criteria. Nevertheless, this reflects the experience of a consumer approaching the information available. Our analysis looked at provider websites as accessed during February 2025, as well information collated by CCW and Ofcom on their social tariff information pages. For broadband providers, we also analysed the navigation of provider websites by analysing how easily a consumer could find relevant pages on provider websites. Our desk research may be impacted in places where there was a lack of information publicly available.
Nationally representative polling (October 2024):
Nationally representative online survey of UK adults conducted for Citizens Advice by Yonder Data Solutions. Total sample size 2,746, boosted to include 1,000 respondents receiving Universal credit or Pension Credit. Fieldwork took place between 16th October and 18th October 2024. It is important to note, using online polling, there are limitations in capturing the experiences of some of the groups highlighted by our advisers in the focus as struggling the most to access social tariffs. For example, those with English as an additional language and those who are digitally excluded.
Nationally representative polling (January 2025):
Nationally representative online survey of UK adults conducted for Citizens Advice by Yonder Data Solutions with a total sample size of 3,279. Fieldwork was conducted between the 27th and 30th of January 2025.
Endnotes
1. This polling asked consumers how easy, or difficult they would find it to afford the average April 2025 bill increase before inflation (£86). With inflationary uprating, the actual average rise has been put by Ofwat significantly higher at £123. Therefore, this figure is likely to be an underestimate of the proportion of bill payers who will find it difficult to afford the coming price rises.
2. Estimates of support going unclaimed and households missing out are based on people not receiving social tariffs who are likely eligible according to current scheme criteria. However, the amount of money available to fund these support schemes is in practice likely to be significantly lower than this under current designs.
3. In the water market, there are two types of social tariff. There’s the national WaterSure scheme (WaterSure Wales in Wales), which caps water bills at the local average for people in receipt of means-tested benefits and with high essential use of water because of either health conditions or having a certain number of school-age children in the house. Providers must also offer a local social tariff for people on low-income. The latter are the primary focus of our research.
4. In practice, this means how much their customers say they are comfortable paying towards bill support schemes.
5. Respondents were asked ‘You said you have fallen behind on your [water/broadband] bill at some point in the past 12 months. Did your supplier signpost you towards any support to help make your bills more affordable (sometimes called ‘social tariff’ schemes) during this time?’ Answer options were: Yes - my supplier contacted me with this information, Yes - but only after I contacted my supplier to ask for support, No - I contacted my supplier to ask for support but they did not provide information on support schemes, No - my supplier did not contact me at all.
6. See full list of broadband social tariffs: Ofcom, Social Tariffs: Cheaper broadband and phone packages, Feb 2025, Available at: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/saving-money/social-tariffs/
7. All names changed to protect anonymity.
8. The median monthly price for a social tariff amongst the top 5 providers by market share is £20 per month - £30 cheaper than what Elena is paying currently.
9. Some NAV companies offer to ‘match’ the social tariff savings a customer would have been eligible for under the incumbent supplier in the area, but this typically requires customers to contact the company and request this.
10. These top five companies supply broadband to over 85% of users in the UK.
11. BT owns Plusnet and EE. While they do not offer a social tariff, customers on these networks can transfer to BT’s Essentials. Therefore, we have not included these providers separately.
12. Our findings on difficulties with application processes differ from recent CCW research, Water Worries: Affordability Research 2025 - https://www.ccw.org.uk/publication/water-worries-affordability-research-2025/. This may be to do with the experiences of people in vulnerable circumstances being more represented in our research.
13. It’s not clear to us whether guidance around signposting customers in vulnerable circumstances includes social tariff support or only forms of accessibility support. The voluntary nature of broadband social tariffs and lack of cross-consumer subsidy mechanism makes it difficult for Ofcom to go beyond guidance when it comes to provider promotion of social tariffs.