TalkTalk and UK Gov Offer 6 Months Free Broadband to Job Seekers

Budget UK ISP TalkTalk and the Government’s Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will today launch a scheme that enables job hunters across the country to apply for a new voucher scheme, which when redeemed will enable them to get 6 months of free broadband via the internet provider’s “Fibre” 35Mbps (FTTC) package.

The vouchers scheme was previously trialled in Greater Manchester and Cheshire during the start of the second UK lockdown last year, and it is now set to be rolled out on a national basis.

Unlike TalkTalk’s existing Fibre 35 package (9Mbps upload) for regular customers (this usually costs from £23 per month on an 18-month term), the special option for jobseekers will not come attached to a lengthy contract (promoted as “no contract“) and users of the service will be unable to add optional extras, such as Pay TV. Voice calls are also not part of the package.

However, users of the package will still receive the key features, such as unlimited data usage, an included wireless router and access to its internet security features. At the end of the 6-month period, customers can optionally choose to either cancel without penalty – provided you send the router back via the supplied prepaid returns service – or roll on to a contracted package.

Mims Davies, UK Employment Minister, said (The Guardian):

“We want to support jobseekers in any way we can on their journey to securing employment, which includes levelling up opportunities by making sure they are digitally connected and can access the full range of support offered by our Plan for Jobs and our JobHelp website.”

All Jobcentre Plus work coaches will be trained to identify eligible participants and offer the vouchers accordingly, which will come in the form of referral codes supplied by TalkTalk. Customers who take one of these vouchers can then call TalkTalk directly via a dedicated number to get the service.