Virgin Media O2 has launched a new high-speed social broadband tariff to help millions of struggling Brits tackle rising costs.
The Essential Broadband Plus plan costs £20 a month and come with speeds of 50Mbps.
New and existing customers receiving Universal Credit will be eligible for the deal, which is on a 30-day rolling contract with no price change for as long as a customer is receiving the benefit.
Customers will also have the option to add on Stream by Virgin, which combines live TV, on-demand apps, streaming subscriptions, and must-watch movies.
The add-on can be paid upfront by a one-off fee of £20, which means you’ll be saving 42% off its normal price.
But if you don't require higher speeds, you can save money by choosing its the Virgin Media Essential Broadband tariff, which is £12.50 a month for 15Mbps
Existing customers will be able to transfer to either of the social tariff packages, free of charge, regardless of where they are in their current Virgin Media contract.
New customers will be able to join with no activation fee.
Jeff Dodds, Chief Operating Officer at Virgin Media O2 said: “We know how important affordable, reliable connectivity is – which is why we were one of the first providers to launch a social tariff back in 2020 to support customers facing financial difficulty.
“Fast forward two years and our new faster alternative - Essential Broadband Plus - is providing even greater choice and flexibility for those in need with speeds of 50Mbps for just £20 a month.
“It’s just one of the many ways we’re doing more to help support our customers through the cost-of-living crisis, delivering better value at a time when it matters most.”
This year, Virgin Media O2 has seen a 294% increase in its Essential Broadband sign ups.
It comes as telecoms industry regulator Ofcom called on Virgin to offer a faster social tariff and urged providers to invest more into advertising cheaper tariffs.
The regulator found that around 4.2 million low-income households qualify for discounted broadband packages.
But 70% of those eligible were not aware the deals existed.
According to Ofcom, millions (97% of those eligible) are still missing out on average savings worth £144 a year.
