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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support low income households with their broadband bills.

DCMS has taken steps to address the affordability concerns of people from low-income households by successfully negotiating with broadband providers to introduce a range of low-cost, high-quality social tariffs, available in 99% of the UK, for as little as £12 for those on Universal Credit and other means-tested benefits.

We also secured a set of commitments from broadband providers to support people through the global rise in the cost of living. These commitments include more manageable payment plans and allowing households to switch to cheaper packages without penalty.

We continue to engage with the sector. On 29 November, DCMS convened a ministerial roundtable of leaders from across the sector, Ofcom as well as consumer groups to discuss further steps to support low-income families.