New BT package to offer cheaper broadband for those on benefits

Charlotte Whyatt • 07 May 2021

BT Home Essentials will offer an average speed of 36Mbps for £15 a month.

BT is to launch a new, much cheaper fibre broadband package to help those on certain state benefits stay connected.

The BT Home Essentials package will be priced at £15 a month and offer an average superfast download speed of 36Mbps.

That’s more than half the price of the equivalent package which costs £32.99 a month for those not receiving benefits.

Home Essentials will be available from the end of June 2021 to those who receive the following:

• Universal credit
• The guarantee credit element of pension credit
• Jobseeker’s allowance
• Income support
• Employment and support allowance

Recent research carried out by BT has highlighted that since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, a third of consumers feel more vulnerable financially.

“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,” said Marc Allera, the CEO of BT’s consumer division.

“We want to help as many people as we can, so 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.”

Last month, the provider also pledged to invest £12 billion in bringing faster broadband connections to £20 million UK households. 

Source: The Guardian