Broadband/Phone Auto Compensation | Consumer Claims Handbook

#At a Glance


Difficulty	⭐ Easy
Time to DIY	15 minutes
Payout	£9.33–£30.49 per day
Time Limit	No formal limit
Escalation	Ofcom / CISAS / Ombudsman Services

#What Is It?

The Automatic Compensation Scheme (since 2019) requires participating providers to pay you when:

Your service is delayed when switching or setting up
Your service stops working and isn't fixed quickly
An engineer misses an appointment

Participating providers: BT, EE, Plusnet, Sky, TalkTalk, Virgin Media, Zen, and others.

#Compensation Rates (2024)

Issue	Compensation
Delayed start (new line/switch)	£6.10 per day
Service not working (total loss)	£9.33 per day
Missed engineer appointment	£30.49 per missed appointment

#Am I Eligible?

#✅ You're eligible if:

Your provider is part of the scheme (most major ones are)
Your broadband or landline stopped working completely
Your new service started late
An engineer missed their appointment slot

#❌ You're NOT eligible if:

The problem was your fault (e.g., didn't let engineer in)
You caused the delay (e.g., not available for installation)
Issues were due to extreme circumstances beyond provider control
Your provider isn't part of the scheme

#How It Should Work

Automatically: Provider calculates what you're owed and credits your account or sends payment within 30 days of the issue being resolved.

Reality: Many providers don't pay automatically. You often need to chase.

#Step-by-Step: Getting Your Compensation

#Step 1: Log the Issue

Note when service stopped working
Note when you reported it
Note when it was fixed

#Step 2: Wait for Automatic Credit

Check your bill/account after the issue is resolved
Compensation should appear within 30 days

#Step 3: Chase If It Doesn't Appear

Contact customer service
Reference the Automatic Compensation Scheme
State dates of outage and compensation due

#Step 4: Escalate If Refused

Make formal complaint
If unresolved after 8 weeks, go to ADR (CISAS or Ombudsman Services)

#Sample Complaint

Dear [Provider],

Automatic Compensation Claim

Account number: [Number]

Address: [Address]

I am writing to claim compensation under the Automatic Compensation Scheme.

[For outage:]

My broadband service stopped working on [date] and was not restored until [date], a total of [X] days.

[For missed appointment:]

An engineer was scheduled for [date] between [time slot]. The engineer did not attend.

[For delayed start:]

My service was due to start on [date] but did not actually start until [date], a delay of [X] days.

Under the Automatic Compensation Scheme, I am entitled to:

days × £9.33 = £[amount] for loss of service, OR

days × £6.10 = £[amount] for delayed start, OR

£30.49 for missed appointment

Please credit my account or arrange payment within 14 days.

Yours faithfully,

[Your Name]

#ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution)

If the provider doesn't resolve your complaint within 8 weeks:

Check which ADR scheme they use:

CISAS – Communications & Internet Services Adjudication Scheme
Ombudsman Services: Communications

Both are free and can award compensation.

#Partial Service Loss

The automatic scheme covers total loss of service. For partial loss (slow speeds, intermittent issues):

Complain to provider
Request goodwill compensation
If unsatisfied, escalate to ADR
May be able to exit contract without penalty

#Common Questions

Q: My provider says compensation doesn't apply – what now?

Ask why specifically. If they're part of the scheme and you meet the criteria, push back. Escalate to ADR if needed.

Q: The outage was "planned maintenance" – do I still get compensation?

Usually no, if they gave reasonable notice. But check what notice you received.

Q: Can I leave my contract early because of outages?

Possibly. Repeated service failures may constitute a breach of contract, allowing you to exit penalty-free.

Q: My mobile signal is bad – does this apply?

No. The scheme covers fixed broadband and landlines, not mobile.