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 (26%) had difficulty affording communications services in May 2025

Twenty-six per cent of UK households struggled to afford their communication services in May 2025, consistent with January 2025. In total, we estimate this to equate to 6 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 and those in households with a resident with an impacting/limiting condition continue to be among those most likely to say they had difficulty affording their communications services.

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

Fourteen per cent of households said they made changes to a communication service (e.g. switched package or tariff); while 10% stated they were reducing spend elsewhere, such as on food or clothes to afford communications services, consistent with January 2025. The proportion of households that have cancelled a communication service in the last month (7%), missed a payment (3%), and made changes to a payment method (4%) also remain broadly consistent with the previous waves of the survey.

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

In May 2025, households taking SVoD and/or pay-TV were the most likely to say they struggled to afford these services (both 12%). Nine per cent of households with a mobile phone found it difficult to afford their service, this equates to around 2.5 million (± 500,000) 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. Three per cent of households with a landline found it difficult to afford their service.

Over half of households that found it difficult to afford communications services also experienced affordability issues elsewhere

Fifty-seven per cent of households that found it difficult to afford their communications services in May 2025 and also had difficulty affording other household items or services. The most likely items or services that those taking communications affordability actions also had difficulty affording were food (38%), gas/electricity (32%), travel costs (31%) and clothes (29%).

Around three in ten eligible respondents (31%) were aware of fixed broadband social tariffs

Thirty-six per cent of decision makers who are eligible to apply for a social tariff were aware of fixed broadband and/or mobile social tariffs, which has remained consistent since July 2024. Those who were eligible were more likely to be aware of broadband social tariffs (31%) compared to mobile (20%). 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 (16%), friends and family (14%) and television (13%).

*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 May 2025, 35% either didn’t know or refused to answer the household income question.

Communications affordability tracker - technical annex

Communications affordability tracker - technical annex (October 2024) (PDF, 283 KB)

Download the data

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

Data from previous research