Hyperoptic Fair Fibre – How To Get It?

Hyperoptic are one of the fastest-growing broadband providers in the UK, and have recently launched a reduced price plan for those in receipt of certain types of benefits.

The plan is called Fair Fibre and it is actually two different plans, but with different speeds.

The cheapest plan – called Fair Fibre Fast – costs £15 a month, or £7 a month less than the same plan that others will pay who are unable to claim social tariff (£22). That means that eligible households will make a saving of £84 a year, and of course will get the same level of service and speeds as other customers.

The second plan is called Fair Fibre Superfast and, as the name suggests, it is faster than the “Fast” plan. This plan costs £25 a month, which is the same price as what standard customers pay. However, there is no contract term here, whereas regular customers must sign up for a minimum of 24 months.

Hyperoptic is the only broadband provider to offer two different plans for social tariff users to choose from. Every other provider only has one plan.

The first thing to do, is to check that you’re eligible for the Hyperoptic plans. Not everyone can get these reduced price packages – you need to be in receipt of certain benefits to be able to proceed.

What actually is a ‘social tariff’ anyway?

It may sound too good to be true, but it really isn’t. Ofcom and the UK government announced that all of the main internet providers in the UK should offer a reduced-price broadband plan to those in society who are struggling financially – called a social tariff.

This means that if you are in receipt of certain types of benefit, such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit, you should be able to save up to 50% on your monthly broadband bills. And this is possible whether you are a new or existing customer, in most cases, too.

The system is new, but it’s slowly being rolled out to other areas too, such as SIM-only plans, water & utilities, and even breakdown cover!

What’s more, you will enjoy the same broadband speeds as other customers paying full price. There’s a misconception that you may be put onto a ‘slower’ network, but this isn’t true.

All you need to do to join is prove your eligibility to get the social tariff – there is more information on this here.

In the case of Hyperoptic, you can save around £84 a year on your broadband bills, and switching only takes a few seconds. Read on to find out how to apply.

Review: Is Hyperoptic Fair Fibre any good?

The great thing about Hyperoptic as a company, is that you can choose Broadband and Phone, or just Broadband. Obviously, the Phone packages cost a bit more, but it’s nice to have a choice of the two.  Unlike other providers who entice you to buy a phone package that you may not need, Hyperoptic offer both options.

Read this here formore information on Hyperoptic’s broadband deals, or keep reading below to find out how apply for the Hyperoptic social tariff plans and find out if they’re a good match for your needs.

What’s the catch?

There isn’t one, but be aware that Hyperoptic is not available to every single household in the UK. In fact, only around 900,000 households can currently get Hyperoptic.

Therefore, you should firstly check whether you are able to get Hyperoptic broadband at your home. You can use their online availability checker here.

If you aren’t in a Hyperoptic area, then sadly you won’t be able to proceed at this time. If this is you, check out our other broadband social tariff deals and reviews here; there are many other providers that will gladly be able to provide you with reduced-price internet.

If you are lucky enough to get Hyperoptic in your home, then the next step to check is your eligibility for their Fair Fibre plan – see the eligibility section below.

Is there a minimum contract? Can I cancel Hyperoptic?

There is no minimum term or contract when you sign up for the Fair Fibre deals.

Unlike regular customers, you can cancel at any time – whereas regular customers are locked into either 12 or 24 month contracts.

Am I eligible for Hyperoptic Fair Fibre?

Some providers like BT Broadband only list Universal Credit and/or Pension Credit as the requirements to sign up for their social tariff plans.

Thankfully, Hyperoptic give a lot more information.

To be able to get Hyperoptic’s Fair Fibre package, you need to be in receipt of any ONE of the following:

• Income Support
• Pension Credit
• Universal Credit
• Job Seekers Allowance (JSA)
• Housing Benefit
• Personal Independence Payment
• Attendance Allowance
• Care Leavers supported by Children’s Support
• Employment and Support Allowance (EAS)

This list is a lot more lengthy than other provider’s lists. We are grateful to Hyperoptic for providing such an exhaustive list and for allowing those on Housing Benefit, for example, to apply.

If your benefit or credit is not on this list, then it’s unlikely that Hyperoptic can place you on to their Fair Fibre plan, sadly.

I’m already a Hyperoptic customer, can I switch?

Yes, you can. You just need to contact Hyperoptic and, assuming you meet the eligibility requirements, they should switch you over within a few days. There is no fee to do this.

You can contact Hyperoptic’s team via Livechat, phone or email. Their customer service number is: 0333 332 1111

What speeds can I expect with Hyperoptic Fair Fibre?

There are actually two speeds to choose from, if you are eligible, via the social tariff system:

1. Hyperoptic Fast – Average speeds of 50Mb/s
2. Hyperoptic Superfast – Average speeds of 150Mb/s

If your household is financially struggling then the Hyperoptic Fast plan is perfectly fine; in our opinion there isn’t really any need to go for the more expensive Superfast plan, unless you really need the extra speed boost.

For many customers, the Hyperoptic Fast plan will be fine for things like gaming, streaming, Netflix, Youtube and much more. Those who need the extra speeds are likely to be larger households or those who use the internet a lot.

TIP: Need unlimited social media data? Check out our VOXI social tariff review, unlimited 5G data for just £10/month

How do I apply for Hyperoptic Fair Fibre?

If you have satisifed the requirements and are in a Hyperoptic area, then you can proceed with this great deal on the Hyperoptic website here.

There aren’t any details – so far – on the Hyperoptic website about how they actually verify your eligibility, or how long that process generally takes. We will update this review when we can find out more about the application process – or let us know in the below comment section.