The £15 a month deal is less than half the price of the cheapest equivalent package you can currently get directly from BT (£34.99 a month).

The new social tariff is for people on means-tested benefits such as Universal Credit, the guaranteed credit element of Pension Credit, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support, or Employment and Support Allowance.

Home Essentials will be available from the end of June, with both existing and new BT customers eligible.

BT says the deal will cover an estimated 4.6 million households and that “it’s designed to help customers to budget and provide greater peace of mind, keeping people connected with one less thing to worry about”.

Recent BT research found 79% of those on means-tested benefits rely on broadband to manage their household finances, and almost three-quarters (72%) of Brits say it wouldn’t be easy to improve their career prospects without connectivity.

BT’s existing social tariff, BT Basic, is available to people on certain means-tested benefits including people on Universal Credit and on zero earnings. Home Essentials extends eligibility to all customers on Universal Credit, helping an additional 3 million people.

Martin Lewis, founder of MoneySavingExpert.com said: “At a first glance this looks to be a very good offer from BT for those who can get it – though I still want to see the final small print once it launches.

“The fact this deal has a consistent underlying price of £15 a month with a big name supplier – that if you’re already a customer shouldn’t require a credit check – makes it pretty close to unbeatable, for cheapness and lack of hassle. If you want substantially faster speeds though, it is always worth doing a comparison and double checking elsewhere.”