Broadband Down for Days? Compensation You May Be Owed (UK)
For total loss of service, a missed engineer, or an install that never happened, compensation is supposed to arrive automatically — without you asking. It often does not, and knowing the daily rate is what turns a vague complaint into a specific one.
The short answer
Ofcom's automatic compensation scheme covers three situations: total loss of broadband or landline service not fixed quickly enough, a missed engineer appointment, and a new service that does not start on the promised date. Payment should be credited to your account automatically, within 30 days. Not every provider is signed up, so check whether yours is before quoting it.
Contents
What the scheme covers, and the thresholds
It is narrower than people expect. It covers TOTAL loss of service, not a slow or unreliable connection, and the clock only starts after a waiting period. Slow broadband is a different complaint, handled under the contract and the provider's speed guarantee.
The three covered situations
- Total loss of service not fixed within two full working days of you reporting it — then a daily rate applies
- A missed engineer appointment, or one cancelled with less than 24 hours' notice — a fixed sum
- A new service that does not start on the promised date — a daily rate
- Payment should be credited automatically within 30 days
- Slow speeds are NOT covered by this scheme
As at April 2026 the rates were roughly
Ofcom reviews these periodically and they rose in April 2026, so treat these as the order of magnitude rather than a figure to quote as gospel — check the current rate before putting a number in a letter.
Indicative rates, April 2026
- Around £10 per calendar day for delayed repair after total loss of service
- Around £32 per missed or late-cancelled engineer appointment
- Around £6 per calendar day for delayed activation of a new service
Report it, in writing, on the day
The daily clock runs from when you REPORT the loss, so a day spent assuming it will come back on its own is a day you are not compensated for. Get a reference number and note the time.
If it is not paid
Complain to the provider first. If it is not resolved you can take it to an approved ADR scheme — the Communications Ombudsman or CISAS, depending on the provider. The waiting period for telecoms complaints was shortened in April 2026, so check the current figure rather than assuming the older eight weeks; a deadlock letter unlocks the route immediately either way.
Automatic compensation not paid
Edit this template with your facts, dates, and requested outcome before sending.
Subject: Loss of service and automatic compensation — account [number] Dear [Provider], My [broadband/landline] service on account [number] was completely lost from [date and time] and was not restored until [date and time]. I reported the loss on [date] and the reference was [reference]. [If relevant: an engineer appointment on [date] was missed / cancelled at short notice.] [If relevant: my service was due to start on [date] and did not begin until [date].] Under Ofcom's automatic compensation scheme I should have received compensation for this without needing to claim. I have not received it. Please confirm within 14 days what compensation is due and when it will be credited. Kind regards, [Your Name]
Common mistakes to avoid
- Waiting to see if the service returns before reporting it, which delays the compensation clock
- Expecting the scheme to cover slow speeds — it covers total loss only
- Not getting a fault reference, so the report date cannot be evidenced
- Assuming every provider is in the scheme; not all are
- Quoting a compensation rate from an old article without checking the current one
- Accepting a goodwill credit that is smaller than the scheme amount without asking how it was calculated
Next steps
- 1Note the exact date and time service was lost and restored
- 2Find the fault reference and the date you reported it
- 3Check whether your provider is in the automatic compensation scheme
- 4Write asking what compensation is due and when it will be credited
- 5If unresolved, ask for deadlock and use the provider's ADR scheme
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