Universal Credit and other benefit claimants are set to benefit from a new deal launched by BT. Today, BT has announced it will launch BT Home Essentials in June, a social tariff connecting those on low incomes with affordable fibre broadband and calls.
On top of Universal Credit, the new tariff will be available to those on the guarantee credit element of pension credit, jobseeker’s allowance, income support, and employment and support allowance.
BT Home Essentials is a separate and improved social tariff compared to BT’s initial version, BT Basic, launched in 2008.
Home Essentials provides an average of 36 Mbps download speeds and 700 minutes of calls for £15 a month, around half the price of a standard fibre and calls package.
Alternatively, eligible customers can also opt for average speeds of 67 Mbps and unlimited calls for £20 per month.
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The lowest price equivalent standard BT broadband package costs £32.99 a month, with an additional £15 for our unlimited calls plan – this means BT Home Essentials customers choosing the £20 option can save over £330 a year.
This new scheme is expected to cover around 4.6 million households and Marc Allera, the CEO of BT’s Consumer division, commented on the importance of offers such as this one.
He said: "Fast, reliable connectivity has never been as important as it is today, with millions of people relying upon our networks to get back on their feet after the pandemic.
“We want to help as many people as we can, which is why at the end of June we’ll be launching BT Home Essentials, increasing the eligibility of our social tariff to include all customers on Universal Credit.
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"BT Home Essentials will be available at half the price of our standard fibre package, helping a potential four million households on low income save on bills and stay connected to vital online services.”
Matt Warman, the Digital Infrastructure Minister, also commented on the news: "In today's digital world, everyone should be able to access fast, reliable and affordable internet, so I'm thrilled that BT is the latest provider to launch new deals for low income households.
“We have been working with internet providers to offer affordable broadband tariffs for those struggling with bills to help the UK build back fairer from the pandemic.
"I hope to see others taking similar action soon.”
To be eligible for Universal Credit a person must be on a low income or out of work entirely.
Additionally, claimants must be aged between 18 and state pension age, have less than £16,000 in savings and be living in the UK.
Applications for Universal Credit can be made online.
So long as a claimant is eligible, they'll receive payments that are tailored to their circumstances.
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