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 July 2024

Twenty-four per cent of UK households struggled to afford their communication services in July 2024, a decrease compared to April 2024. In total, we estimate this to equate to 6.8 million UK households (+/- 700,000) who found it difficult to afford communications service(s).

As seen in previous waves of the survey, those in receipt of benefits, those who are experiencing a worsened financial situation compared to 12 months ago and those in households with a resident with an impacting/limiting condition, continue to be among those most likely to have difficulty affording communications services.

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

Twelve per cent of households said they made changes to a communication service (e.g. switched package or tariff), which remains in line with April 2024. Nine per cent are reducing spend elsewhere, such as on food or clothes, to afford communications services which was a decrease compared to the previous wave of the survey. The proportion of households that have cancelled a communication service in the last month (8%), made changes to a payment method (3%) and missed a payment (2%), remain consistent with the previous wave in April 2024.

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

In July 2024, households taking SVoD and/or pay-TV were the most likely to say they struggled to afford these services (12% and 10% respectively). Seven per cent of households with a mobile phone found it difficult to afford their service, this equates to around 1.9 million (± 500,000) UK households. Six per cent of those with fixed broadband found it difficult to afford their service in the previous month, which equates to around 1.4 million (± 500,000) UK households. Three per cent of households with a landline found it difficult to afford their service.

Six in ten households that found it difficult to afford communications services also experienced affordability issues with other household items/services

Sixty-two per cent of households that found it difficult to afford their communications services in July 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 (39%), clothes (35%) and gas/electricity (31%). This remained in line with April 2024.  

A third of eligible decisions makers were aware of broadband social tariffs

Thirty-four per cent of eligible decision makers were aware of a broadband and/or a mobile social tariff, which has remained consistent since July 2023. Those who were eligible were more likely to be aware of broadband social tariffs (33%) compared to mobile (13%). The most commonly reported ways in which those who were eligible for social tariffs had first heard about broadband social tariffs was through television (13%), communications provider (12%) and general online search (8%), consistent with April 2024.

* 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 July 2024, 39% either didn’t know or refused to answer the household income question.

Communications affordability tracker - technical annex

Communications affordability tracker - technical annex (October 2023) (PDF, 253.1 KB)

Download the data

The data used in these charts is available to download via our statistical release calendars.

Data from previous research