With another lockdown upon us, many people are finding it hard, once again, to access the internet for teaching and for work. With this in mind lots of companies have stepped up to offer support.
In this post we are going to keep an ongoing record of the support that is available:
Social tariffs from internet service providers
| Provider | Name of package | Who’s eligible | Features and current price | Link |
| BT | BT Basic | Income Support Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance Pensions Credit (Guaranteed Credit) Employment and Support Allowance (Income related) Universal Credit (and are on zero earnings) | Phone and broadband As well as getting free weekend calls (up to sixty minutes duration) to 0845 and 0870 numbers, it comes with a call allowance of £1.50 and a £10 monthly price cap. Data is capped (although this has been removed during COVID) | How do I find out more about BT Basic? | BT Help |
| Virgin Media | VM Essential broadband | UC claimants | No contract Fixed price 15 mbps £15 per month | Virgin Media broadband for Universal Credit claimants – broadbandchoices.co.uk |
Other options are well explained here – Broadband for Those on Benefits – Go Compare
Free internet access through schools – BT lockdown learning support
Get more data from selected mobile providers during the pandemic
DfE is working in partnership with mobile network operators to help schools support disadvantaged pupils in years 3 to 11 who rely on a mobile internet connection when their face-to-face education is disrupted by coronavirus (COVID-19).
Disadvantaged families may be able to benefit from free increases from their mobile provider – find out more
The pandemic data offers for disadvantaged people from mobile companies vary (both who’s eligible and what they get – so people should contact their mobile service provider to see what’s available:
- Companies participating in the DFE schemeso far are: EE, O2, Sky Mobile, SMARTY, Tesco Mobile, Three, Virgin Mobile, Vodafone
This article provides a summary of what’s being offered by the mobile providers. It should be noted that the scheme is for families with disadvantaged children (3 to 11), rather than people on benefits.
Tethering devices to a phone
Rather than reinvent the wheel – the process for Android and IOS phones is described here:
Tethering Guide | How To Tether Android, iPhone & more (broadbandgenie.co.uk)
- You need to check that your mobile provider permits tethering (most do)
- You need to be careful that you respect data limits to avoid additional charges
Basic low cost phone calls for people on benefits.