Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of households unable to afford broadband.

In September, Ofcom published their latest Affordability Report which found that 5% of UK households faced an affordability issue with their fixed broadband in the month of August. While this figure has remained static since Ofcom’s previous report in March, we know that many households are struggling with their monthly broadband bills during this difficult time.

In June, we secured a set of public commitments from the UK’s major broadband and mobile providers to support families through the global rise in the cost of living. These commitments include more manageable payment plans, switching to a cheaper package free-of-charge, or taking a more affordable broadband social tariff if the customer is eligible. We encourage people to contact their provider to see what support is available.