Virgin Media launches internet package for universal credit claimants

It costs £15 a month

Virgin Media is launching a new internet package available exclusively to people claiming universal credit. As the UK enters its worst economic depression in a lifetime with the coronavirus pandemic not going away, the package is aimed at helping those in most financial trouble, helping them to keep in contact with friends and family and search for jobs. The number of people claiming universal credit has shot up since the pandemic hit the UK, from 3 million in March to 5.6 million at the start of July. The initiative, which will be available from autumn onwards, was welcomed by the government's digital infrastructure minister Matt Warman. The deal offers broadband speeds of up to 15Mbps and will, at first, only be accessible through Virgin Media. A customer coming off universal credit can continue to use the service at the higher price of £23 a month or move to another package, Virgin said. Jeff Dodds, chief operating officer at Virgin Media, said: "We know that these are tough times and that there are many people finding it more difficult to make ends meet and facing financial uncertainty. "At the same time, the role of broadband in helping people to stay connected has never been clearer. "With this all in mind, we wanted to make sure that those customers receiving benefit payments were able to access reliable, hassle-free connectivity with enough speed to carry out essential online activities."