Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she is taking steps to increase public awareness of broadband social tariffs.

Information about social tariffs continues to be promoted through the Government’s Help for Households webpage and other promotional materials. We are also taking advantage of existing cross-government channels - including libraries, the school networks and jobcentre work coaches, to highlight social tariffs to eligible people directly.

The Department continues to work closely with Ofcom - who have a regulatory duty to monitor affordability in the telecoms market - to push operators to do more to promote their social tariff offers. On 7 July 2023, Melanie Dawes, Chief Executive of Ofcom, wrote to industry leaders to set out the regulator’s expectation that they take practical action to increase awareness.