Broadband social tariff rebate? 23 December 2022 at 4:15AM in Broadband & internet access 3 replies 149 views

theeicebear

Hi, I have only just found out there was such thing as "social tariff" broadband. I have been paying Virgin over £45 for...well years now I suppose. I feel very wrong done to, that there has been little or no effort made by Virgin to inform me of such a thing, also the DWP did not say a thing and you literally have to have internet to claim now.

I am on UC and PIP, and would like to know a). how long has the social tarifs been a thing? and b). can I claim back that money I could have saved if someone had actually informed me of the social broadband tariff?

I only found this out as my broadband has been as slow as snails all the while paying for high speed broadband (my current download speed is 8 mps and I'm paying for 125 mps).

Any help or advice is appreciated, thanks! 

marcia_

theeicebear said:

Hi, I have only just found out there was such thing as "social tariff" broadband. I have been paying Virgin over £45 for...well years now I suppose. I feel very wrong done to, that there has been little or no effort made by Virgin to inform me of such a thing, also the DWP did not say a thing and you literally have to have internet to claim now.

I am on UC and PIP, and would like to know a). how long has the social tarifs been a thing? and b). can I claim back that money I could have saved if someone had actually informed me of the social broadband tariff?

I only found this out as my broadband has been as slow as snails all the while paying for high speed broadband (my current download speed is 8 mps and I'm paying for 125 mps).

Any help or advice is appreciated, thanks! 

 you can not apply to get it backdated.  

 Social tariffs have been advertised for ages, shown on social media and money saving expert and on providers websites. Your choice to apply or not. 

 Not the DWPs or governments job to inform you.

Neil_Jones

theeicebear said:

Hi, I have only just found out there was such thing as "social tariff" broadband. I have been paying Virgin over £45 for...well years now I suppose. I feel very wrong done to, that there has been little or no effort made by Virgin to inform me of such a thing, also the DWP did not say a thing and you literally have to have internet to claim now.

I am on UC and PIP, and would like to know a). how long has the social tarifs been a thing? and b). can I claim back that money I could have saved if someone had actually informed me of the social broadband tariff?

I only found this out as my broadband has been as slow as snails all the while paying for high speed broadband (my current download speed is 8 mps and I'm paying for 125 mps).

Any help or advice is appreciated, thanks! 

a) Many years.  BT Basic launched in 2008.

b) No. 

What you "feel" is, with all due respect, irrelevant to the discussion (I can see why you feel that way but...).  Not the provider's responsibility to tell you about such things, if they choose to tell you it will only be be an advisory anyway.  It is the customer's responsibility (and always has been) to ensure they are on the right tariff for them,  If you don't do that then... well tough basically.

Move to the new tariff and chalk it up to experience.

Muttleythefrog

As above... chalk it up to experience... along with probably overpaying for broadband anyway via customer unfriendly Virgin Media. Sadly the social tariffs are poorly advertised by the providers I would say (they may be better advertised by sites like this) and probably only easy to find if you knew they existed in the first place so could specifically ask or search for. Things appear to be improving and more providers offering such with better navigation to the options. BT may be worth looking at IMO and I'm on their £15 deal which is decent speed and also free landline phone and minutes.

Full list of social tariffs available on Ofcom website but obviously not all available to all addresses...
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/advice-for-consumers/costs-and-billing/social-tariffs

If you shop around you might be able to get better (non social) deals with cashback etc but you might have to haggle and switch regularly to compete with the best social tariff offerings. Remember if you do leave Virgin Media after giving notice you may have to pay as per contract for leaving it early but given the service and cost currently you're experiencing quite frankly it looks worth seeing what other options exist.