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Written question asked by Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party) on Tuesday, 30 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 6 July 2026 (named day). It was answered by Kanishka Narayan (Labour) on Monday, 6 July 2026 on behalf of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

Broadband: Social Tariffs

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what estimate she has made of the change in public awareness of, and take-up of, broadband and mobile social tariffs between December 2023 and December 2025.

Answer

There are around 30 social tariff offers currently available to eligible consumers, however, Ofcom data shows that the take up remains relatively low: increasing from 380,000 households in September 2023 to 532,000 by June 2025. Due to an expansion in the number of eligible households, these figures represent 8.3% and 8.6% take up respectively as a proportion of eligible households.

In February 2026, the Government secured commitments from telecoms providers through the Telecoms Consumer Charter. These include ensuring social tariffs are easy to find and clearly signposted to eligible customers, alongside the Government's continued encouragement for more providers to offer social tariffs where they are able. Providers also commit to supporting all customers who are facing financial difficulty by offering practical support such as the ability to move to cheaper packages without charge or penalty or manageable payment plans.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
14316
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Broadband Social tariffs Take-up
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk