Communications Affordability Tracker

Ofcom regularly monitors people’s experience of communications services. This summary sets out the findings from our latest research into the affordability of home broadband, mobile phone, landline and pay TV services.

Around a quarter of UK households had difficulty affording communications services in October 2024

Twenty-five per cent of UK households struggled to afford their communication services in October 2024, consistent with July 2024. In total, we estimate this to equate to 5.7 million UK households (+/- 600,000) who found it difficult to afford communications service(s).

As seen in previous waves of the survey, those in receipt of benefits, the Most Financially Vulnerable** and those in households with a resident with an impacting/limiting condition, continue to be among those most likely to have difficulty affording their communications services.

Households continue to make changes to their communications services so that they can afford them

Eleven per cent of households said they made changes to a communication service (e.g. switched package or tariff); the same proportion stated they were reducing spend elsewhere, such as on food or clothes to afford communications services, this is in line with July 2024. The proportion of households that have cancelled a communication service in the last month (9%), made changes to a payment method (4%) and missed a payment (3%), also remain consistent with the previous wave of the survey.

Around one in ten households struggle to afford pay-TV and subscription video-on-demand (SVoD) services

In October 2024, households taking SVoD and/or pay-TV were the most likely to say they struggled to afford these services (13% and 10% respectively). Six per cent of households with a mobile phone found it difficult to afford their service, this equates to around 1.6 million (± 400,000) UK households. Eight per cent of those with fixed broadband found it difficult to afford their service in the previous month, which equates to around 1.9 million (± 500,000) UK households. Six per cent of households with a landline found it difficult to afford their service.

Around two-thirds of households that found it difficult to afford communications services also experienced affordability issues with other household items/services

Sixty-five per cent of households that found it difficult to afford their communications services in October 2024 also had difficulty affording other household items/services. The most common items/services that those taking communications affordability actions also had difficulty affording were food (41%), travel costs (34%) and gas/electricity (34%). This is in line with July 2024.

Three in ten eligible decisions makers were aware of broadband social tariffs

Thirty-one per cent of decision makers who are eligible to apply for a social tariff were aware of broadband and/or mobile social tariffs, which has remained consistent since October 2023. Those who were eligible were more likely to be aware of broadband social tariffs (30%) compared to mobile (15%). The most commonly reported ways in which those who were eligible for social tariffs had first heard about broadband social tariffs was through social media (22%), television (15%) and friends and family (14%).

*Base sizes too low to display demographic groups by month for ‘Where eligible respondents first heard of fixed broadband social tariffs’

*Base size too low to display ‘Where eligible respondents first heard of mobile social tariffs’

** Financial Vulnerability combines household income, working status and the size of the household and creates three distinct groups based on expected financial vulnerability. The Most Financially Vulnerable group are those who have a low household income relative to household size. For example, any household with an overall income under £10,400 or a household with at least 6 inhabitants and an overall income of £36,400 - £51,999 would both fall into this category. Please note that not all those taking part in the survey answer the household income question. In October 2024, 35% either didn’t know or refused to answer the household income question.