Broadband has become an additional household cost for most UK residents. However, for many it is also an essential service and one that can't simply be knocked off the list of monthly bill payments.
Claimants of Universal Credit or State Pension may be able to get a helping hand when trying to cut the size of their bill. TV and broadband supplier Sky joins the list of providers offering deals to certain customers
Sky issued a message to anybody who claims either Universal Credit or State Pension that they could save £90 a year. To do this, Sky has launched a deal specifically for those claiming benefits.
READ MORE: Martin Lewis' website issues warning about £150 council tax rebate
The new Broadband Basics contract costs £20 a month and will be for existing Sky customers who get Universal Credit or Pension Credit. The tariff will offer 36 Mbps (megabits per second) broadband for 18 months, reported Manchester Evening News. This type of deal usually costs £25 a month with Sky - so you would save £90 over that time.
Once your contract has come to an end, you’ll revert back to whatever the standard rate costs at the time. If you need to leave your broadband deal before the 18 months is up, you won’t be charged an exit fee.
The same £20 deal is available if you have Now TV, which is part of Sky, and is called Now Broadband Basics. Again, this will be available to existing customers who are claiming Universal Credit or Pension Credit.
The Now broadband deal is a rolling monthly contract and you'll need to give at least 31 days notice if you want to leave. There is no exit fee. Both deals are designed to help low income households who are struggling during the cost of living crisis.
It comes after communications regulator Ofcom warned millions of families are missing out on a £144 saving on their broadband bills by not taking advantage of social tariffs. Currently six broadband providers – BT, Community Fibre, G.Network, Hyperoptic, KCOM and Virgin Media O2 – offer at least one of these specially discounted deals.
These packages are priced at between £10 and £20 a month for broadband speeds ranging from 10 Mbps to 67 Mbps Lindsey Fussell from Ofcom said: “We’ve been calling on broadband firms to do more to support customers suffering financial hardship.
"So we’re pleased Sky has responded with a special discount for people on low incomes. We want to see all providers step up and offer these packages, and promote them more widely."
