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  • Benefits
  • Everyday money
  • Family & care
  • Homes
  • Money troubles
  • Pensions & retirement
  • Savings
  • Work
  • Universal Credit Find out how Universal Credit works and how to manage your payment
    Benefits if you have children Entitlements to help with the cost of pregnancy or bringing up children
    Benefits if you’re sick, disabled or a carer Understand what support is available for coping with ill health
    Benefits in later life You may be entitled for help with other costs on top of your State Pension
    Benefits and work Extra support if you’re working, self-employed, or you’ve lost your job
    Benefits to help with housing costs Support to help with rent or mortgage payments if you’re on a low income
    Problems with benefits What to do if something goes wrong with your benefits
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    Pensions issues? Join our community group

    Join our private Facebook group ‘Your pension and planning for the future – by MoneyHelper’ to get help and to chat about pensions

  • Banking and payments How to choose, use and manage bank accounts
    Budgeting How to budget, find the best deals and switch to save money
    Buying and running a car How to buy and finance a car, deal with problems with car finance, and cut running costs
    Credit Credit basics, applying for credit, credit ratings and problems with credit
    Insurance Insurance for cars, health, travel, and help with insurance
    Everyday money All Everyday money guidance
    Tools

    Tool

    Compare bank accounts

    Tool

    Budget Planner

    Tool

    Your options for borrowing money

    Tool

    What to do when you’ve been refused credit

    ALL TOOLS

    Pensions issues? Join our community group

    Join our private Facebook group ‘Your pension and planning for the future – by MoneyHelper’ to get help and to chat about pensions

  • Becoming a parent Having a baby, returning to work, childcare costs
    Death and bereavement Wills, inheritance, sorting out estates
    Divorce and separation Sorting out money and homes, what if you have children, money after break ups
    Illness and disability Managing costs, extra financial support, help with work or study
    Long-term care Paying and getting funding, ways to pay, problems with care
    Student and graduate money Credit cards, bank accounts, student debts
    Talk money Difficult conversations, talking to teenagers, older people and partners
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    Baby costs calculator

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    Pensions issues? Join our community group

    Join our private Facebook group ‘Your pension and planning for the future – by MoneyHelper’ to get help and to chat about pensions

  • Mortgages and homebuying Mortgages, help buying, remortgaging, first-time buyers, help and support
    Renting Help renting a home and dealing with problems
    Homes All Homes guidance
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    Stamp Duty calculator

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    Mortgage affordability calculator

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    Pensions issues? Join our community group

    Join our private Facebook group ‘Your pension and planning for the future – by MoneyHelper’ to get help and to chat about pensions

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    Money troubles All Money troubles guidance
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    Pensions issues? Join our community group

    Join our private Facebook group ‘Your pension and planning for the future – by MoneyHelper’ to get help and to chat about pensions

  • Building your retirement pot How much do you need, ways to build your pot, transferring and merging
    Pensions explained Starting a pension, types of pension, understanding pensions
    Pension problems Complaints, financial help when retired, changes to schemes
    State Pension How it works, what you might get, National Insurance
    Taking your pension Ways to draw your pension, when can you retire, Pension Wise appointments
    Tax and pensions Tax allowances, tax paid on pensions, tax relief
    Pensions and retirement All guidance, including how to use the Pension Wise service
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    Money Midlife MOT

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    Over 50? Get free, impartial guidance from our government-backed service. We’ll explain your options for taking money from your pension pots.

  • How to save Getting started, getting the most out of savings, problems
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    Savings All Savings guidance
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    Pensions issues? Join our community group

    Join our private Facebook group ‘Your pension and planning for the future – by MoneyHelper’ to get help and to chat about pensions

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  2. Money troubles
  3. Dealing with debt
Money troubles Dealing with debt

Help if you’re struggling to pay your mobile phone, TV or broadband bills

Lots of us rely on online and mobile services. They keep us connected and can help us get better deals, save us money and keep on top of our finances. Find out how to stay connected if you’re struggling to pay any of these bills. 

What’s in this guide

  • What to do if you’re struggling to pay your mobile phone bill
  • Broadband and mobile social tariffs
  • What to do if you’re struggling to pay other subscription services
  • Next steps if you’ve missed a payment
  • When to get debt advice
  • Extra support if you’re struggling financially and with your mental wellbeing

What to do if you’re struggling to pay your mobile phone bill

If you don’t have a landline or broadband, your mobile phone is a vital connection to other services, so it’s important to keep it if you can.

This might be your first experience of struggling to pay a bill. Remember that it’s important to keep up with your payments. This isn’t just so you don’t lose your connection, but also because it could affect your credit score if you don’t.

If you need help, contact your provider as soon as possible to explain the situation.

Many providers have support in place to help you, including:

  • changing your bill date
  • setting up an affordable repayment plan
  • moving to a different tariff
  • lowering your spending cap.

You might also be able to buy packages that include data boosts at low prices, or free landline phone calls. For more money-saving tips, see our guide How to reduce your home phone and internet bill.

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Broadband and mobile social tariffs

Some providers offer low-cost plans to help you make mobile calls and get online if you’re getting certain benefits, including: 

  • Universal Credit 
  • Jobseeker’s Allowance
  • Pension Credit  
  • Employment and Support Allowance.  

Ofcom has a list of providers that offer these ‘social tariffs’Opens in a new window

Free broadband if you’re a jobseeker

If you’re looking for work, you can apply through your work coach for a voucher for free broadband from TalkTalkOpens in a new window 

The voucher gives you six months of Fibre 35 broadband service with no contract or credit check needed. And there isn’t a cap on data use (providing it’s within TalkTalk’s fair data usage limits).  

After six months, you can choose to roll onto a contract with TalkTalk or cancel the service. Whatever you choose to do, there will be no cancellation costs or sign-up fees. 

Help with internet bills

Around eight million households in the UK struggle to afford their  phone, broadband and TV bills Opens in a new window

If you can’t afford an internet connection to meet essential needs, you might be experiencing data poverty. Data poverty means that you can’t do things like apply for a job online, bank online or access essential services.  

The UK National Databank via Good Things Foundation provides free mobile internet dataOpens in a new window, for up to 12 months, to people who can’t afford it. To qualify, you must: 

  • be at least 18 years old   
  • be from a low-income household  
  • qualify in at least one of the following statements:   
    • have no access or insufficient access to the internet at home 
    • have no or insufficient access to the internet when away from the home   
    • can’t afford your existing monthly contract or top-up. 
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What to do if you’re struggling to pay other subscription services

If you can’t afford services such as Netflix or Spotify, you might be able to cancel them without being charged a penalty. Check the terms of your contract. Citizens Advice has guidance on cancelling a phone, TV, internet and mobile contractsOpens in a new window 

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Next steps if you’ve missed a payment

If you’ve missed a payment on your broadband, phone or TV subscription, contact your provider to explain your situation. 

StepChange has more information if you’re struggling to pay your mobile phone billOpens in a new window or if you’ve missed payments on billsOpens in a new window such as TV and mobile phone.

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When to get debt advice

If you’re worried you might miss a payment, find out more about prioritising your debts.

If you’ve already missed payments and are not able to come to an agreement with your provider, it’s best to get advice as soon you can.

Have you missed a payment?

Use our Debt advice locator tool to find free and confidential debt advice online, over the phone or near to where you live.

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Extra support if you’re struggling financially and with your mental wellbeing

Having mental health struggles might make it difficult for you to manage your money.

If you’re struggling financially and with your mental wellbeing, it’s worth getting in contact with your bank, building society, lender or whoever you owe money to, to discuss your options. 

Most organisations that you owe money to have policies to help support you if you’re vulnerable. 

MoneySavingExpert has a free, downloadable PDF booklet on money and mental healthOpens in a new window It includes how to handle debts when you’re unwell, working with banks, free debt counselling, and whether to declare a medical condition.

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Dealing with debt

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Looking for us? Now, we’re MoneyHelper

MoneyHelper is the new, easy way to get clear, free, impartial help for all your money and pension choices. Whatever your circumstances or plans, move forward with MoneyHelper.

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Looking for us? Now, we’re MoneyHelper

MoneyHelper is the new, easy way to get clear, free, impartial help for all your money and pension choices. Whatever your circumstances or plans, move forward with MoneyHelper.

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Help with bills and payments

  • Help if you’re struggling with payments to DWP or HMRC
  • Help if you’re struggling to pay your child maintenance
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  • Help if you’re struggling to pay Council Tax
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