Top Landline and Broadband Deals For Pensioners March 2026

The best broadband packages available for pensioners

As a pensioner, you have enough life experience to balance your priorities. You want to stay connected to family and friends and relax with your favourite telly programmes, but you have a pretty clear idea of your budget and don’t see the point of overspending. As we explain, there are no broadband or landline deals specifically aimed at pensioners, but you’re savvy enough to compare the options and find the best deal for your circumstances.

Broadband deals for the elderly

Older people are more likely than other age groups to value the convenience and certainty of a landline. If that’s essential for you, go straight to our broadband and home phone deals.

BT landline and broadband deals

BT offers a variety of deals combining broadband with a home phone contract. Check out the BT deals currently on our panel and remember to check the “broadband & phone” button.

Free gifts and extras

If you’re a seasoned bargain-hunter, you’ll appreciate getting a bit extra for your money. Some broadband providers offer a free gift when you sign up with them, usually a shopping voucher or gift card that you can spend straight away. Take a look at our results for broadband with free gifts, but don’t let a freebie tempt you to pay more over the life of the contract.

Choosing the best broadband for a pensioner

There are a number of factors to consider when you’re comparing broadband tariffs, whether or not you’re a pensioner.

Contract length

12-month broadband contracts can be a little bit more expensive per month than longer deals, but might be the best option if you don’t want to commit. For ultimate flexibility try a short-term or no-contract broadband package.

Telly or not telly?

Decide whether you want a TV and broadband bundle or just the broadband. A combo deal is often cheaper than getting telly and broadband separately, but makes comparing more complex.

Do you need a home phone?

If you want a landline - and pensioners are more likely to want one than other age groups - then it makes sense to get the landline service together with your broadband. This narrows down your broadband options, but that’s no bad thing if it makes for a quicker comparison.

What WiFi speed do pensioners typically need?

Obviously the broadband speed you need is all about how many people are using your internet connection and what you’re doing online. And for both these factors, there’s no such thing as a typical pensioner.

The stereotype of the teenage gamer definitely needs updating, as the stats tell us many pensioners enjoy online gaming too. 32% of people in the 65-74 age group and 28% of over-75s play online games at least once a month.² But there’s a lot of variation in how this affects your broadband needs. Candy Crush or Lumosity don’t need much bandwidth, whereas an immersive multi-player game like World of Warcraft does.

Streaming music or video content is another potential strain on your internet connection, and here there’s a big difference in pensioner age groups. 33% of people aged between 65 and 74 use the internet at least once a month for streaming, but that drops to 19% among the over-75s.

There’s also diversity in pensioners’ living situations. In the UK, 36.3% of women and 22.7% of men over 65 live alone.³ So most pensioners share their home with at least one other person and need a broadband speed fast enough to handle two or more users.

We suggest you try our bandwidth calculator to get an idea of what your household needs.

Cheap broadband for pensioners

At the time of writing there aren’t any broadband providers offering cheap broadband for pensioners specifically. But if you’re out of contract with your current provider, it’s definitely time to see what savings are out there.

Don’t overpay for extra speed

As technology improves, average speeds have increased. If it’s been a while since you last signed up to a new broadband contract, you’ll find you can get a lot more bandwidth for your money. We’ve explained above that there’s huge variety in pensioners’ living situations and online activities, so we can’t give a blanket figure for what speed you need as a pensioner. But we do suggest you try our bandwidth calculator.

Be prepared to try mobile broadband

Sometimes the cheapest tariffs out there are for mobile broadband. It’s a different way of getting your internet, but don’t rule it out because of that. From the customer’s point of view, mobile home broadband works in a very similar way to fibre or cable. You plug a router into the wall and then get WiFi as before. If you’re unsure, why not try it on a no-contract basis to start with?

Embrace smaller providers

If cheap broadband is your priority, you need to look at all the deals on offer, not just the ones from the big names. Sometimes the cheapest deals come from small providers, including altnets. This doesn’t mean jumping into the unknown, though - remember that you can read online reviews to get an idea of how reliable a provider is.

Choosing the right home phone deal for me

Pensioners are much more likely to want a landline phone. While only 47% of the UK population has a phone plugged in at home, that figure rises to 78% among over-65s.⁴

The UK’s old phone network is being retired and that means landlines are going digital. Unfortunately you don’t have a choice about this; new customers can’t choose a contract where they stay on the old phone network even if it’s still active where they live. The good news is that you probably won’t notice a difference. Your existing handset will still work on the digital landline network with a Digital Voice adaptor (which you can get for free).

Combine phone and broadband

It’s easier to get your landline and broadband as part of the same deal, not least because most providers won’t offer a landline deal separate from broadband. If you’re in the small minority who don’t want a broadband connection, BT offer deals with a home phone only.⁵ Ring 0800 587 0083 to find out if you’re eligible.

Think about your usage

The best home phone deal for you will reflect your phone usage. Think about how often you’ll be making calls from your landline and what times of day you tend to make them. Clicking “More info” on a deal will show you the rates for calls at peak times, evenings and weekends.

How to compare pensioner broadband packages

As a pensioner, you’re probably no stranger to shopping around. Comparing broadband tariffs is no different.

Put your postcode into the Go.Compare box and select your address. Then you can see the deals available for your home from our panel of trusted providers. Filter by your preferences (for example contract length) and sort the results by speed or price.

It’s important to think about the quality of the service you’ll be getting as well as the cost. Before choosing a provider, take a look at the ratings and reviews they get on independent review websites.

Also discover top broadband offers in your area

Your choice of broadband tariffs depends on exactly where you live. Pop your postcode into our address checker to see the deals available for your address.

You can also compare the best broadband deals by area. Our guides to local broadband services include Bristol broadband, Manchester broadband and more.

The benefits of having broadband and landline in one package

If you want a home phone, it makes the most sense to combine this in a package with your broadband contract.

It’s easier to buy broadband and landline services together than separately
It’s usually cheaper too
If you get bills by post, combining broadband and landline means less paperwork to file

UK landlines are going digital, so your home phone will be using your broadband connection anyway (if it isn’t already).

Can I get broadband without a landline?

Yes. In the past, broadband was delivered through the telephone wires, so you needed a landline connection to get online even if you never used your home phone. Now the UK is moving to fibre broadband and there’s no need to have a landline unless you actually want one.

Internet Safety Tips for Pensioners

Like any other activity, using the internet carries security risks. Read our cyber security guide for advice on staying safe online.

Also ensure your home is protected and secure. Consider comparing over 60’s home insurance if you're not already covered.

FAQs

What's the difference between broadband and landline?

Broadband is your internet connection. It’s how you get online with your tablet or laptop. These days most people connect to it through WiFi rather than through a physical cable.

Your landline is your home phone. Some landline phones are still connected to the telephone network, but an increasing number are digital and require a broadband connection to work.

It used to be essential to have a landline if you wanted an internet connection. Now it’s the other way round: soon everybody who wants a home phone will have to have fibre broadband.

Then

Now

You needed a landline for broadband

You don’t need a landline for broadband

You need broadband to have a landline

That’s because the UK is phasing out its old-style phone wires to replace them with fibre optic cables.⁶ By 2027, home phones will all operate digitally, a bit like how Skype works. So you’ll need a broadband connection to ring someone.

UK telecoms then and now

Then

Now

Network of copper phone lines, some overhead and some underground.

Fibre broadband being rolled out across the UK, replacing the old phone lines.

By 2027: the analogue phone network will be retired.

Broadband was delivered through these phone lines, a type of broadband known as ADSL.

Most homes on full fibre, but some still connect to their local phone cabinet with the older-style phone lines (known as part fibre). A minority are still on ADSL.

The copper phone wires will be completely deactivated. All fixed-line telecoms will use either fibre or cable.

Can pensioners get free broadband?

No, pensioners can’t get free home broadband. The only way to get connected without paying for a broadband contract is to use free public WiFi. For that, you’ll have to be a light internet user and happy to do all your browsing in places that offer free WiFi, like libraries and coffee shops.

How can pensioners get discounts on broadband deals?

Being a pensioner in itself doesn’t qualify you for a discount on your broadband. But there are cheaper deals available if you receive certain benefits, including Pension Credit. Many providers offer a social broadband tariff, also known as basic broadband. It tends to be significantly slower than the provider’s other deals.⁷ Check with your provider to find out what they offer and if you’re eligible.

Is Sky cheaper for pensioners?

Sky doesn’t have a broadband tariff specifically for pensioners, but it does have a cheaper social tariff called Sky Broadband Basics. This isn’t for new Sky customers. It’s for existing customers who are struggling to pay the bills. To qualify, you have to be on one of these benefits:

Universal Credit (UC)
Pension Credit (PC)
Income-based Employment Support Allowance (I-ESA)
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (I-JSA)
Income Support (IS)

Sky will check with the Department of Work and Pensions that you’re really in receipt of one of the benefits on their list before letting you move to the Basics tariff.⁸

Who has the cheapest internet for senior citizens?

At the time of writing (March 2025), there are no broadband providers offering cheaper deals specifically for pensioners. You can avoid paying too much by:

Making a note to switch as soon as you’re out of contract (so your provider can’t shift you to a more expensive rolling deal)
Comparing the deals available for your address and sorting by price
Choosing the right speed for you and not paying for bandwidth you won’t use
Factoring in any mid-contract price hikes and making a decision based on total cost rather than initial monthly payments

Last updated 25 March 2025