- Automatic compensation pays set amounts for certain failures, total loss of service, delayed repair, missed appointments and delayed activation, without you having to ask, from participating providers.
- Manual compensation covers other losses and is claimed through the provider's complaints process.
- Document the dates and impact of any problem to support either type of claim.
- If the provider does not pay what is due, escalate through complaints and then to ADR.
Broadband compensation is more accessible than most people realise, but it works through two distinct mechanisms, and knowing which applies to your situation is the key to claiming successfully. One is automatic and requires no claim; the other you must pursue. Both reward good record-keeping.
Automatic compensation
Many providers participate in Ofcom's automatic compensation scheme, under which set amounts are paid for specific failures without the customer having to ask. The covered events are total loss of service not fixed within a set time, delayed repair, missed engineer appointments, and delayed activation of a new service. If your provider is in the scheme and one of these happens, the payment should appear automatically, typically as a bill credit.
Manual compensation
Not every loss is covered by the automatic scheme. For other situations, consequential losses, distress and inconvenience, or problems outside the automatic triggers, you claim manually through the provider's complaints process. Here you set out what went wrong, the impact, and the remedy you want, supported by your evidence. If the provider declines, you can escalate.
What to document
Both routes depend on evidence. Record the dates a problem started and ended, the times of any outages, missed appointment dates, and the practical impact on you. For automatic compensation, this lets you check the provider has paid the correct amount; for manual claims, it is the basis of your case. Keep call references and written confirmations too.
Compensation types and how to claim
| Type | Covers | How to claim |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic | Loss of service, delayed repair, missed appointments, delayed activation | Paid automatically by participating providers |
| Manual | Other losses and impacts | Through the provider's complaints process |
| Escalated | Unresolved claims | ADR after six weeks or at deadlock |
If you are not paid what is due
If automatic compensation does not appear when it should, or a manual claim is refused unfairly, raise it as a formal complaint with your evidence. If it remains unresolved after six weeks, or you receive a deadlock letter, take it to your provider's approved ADR scheme, which can order the provider to pay. Your documented record of dates and impact is what makes that escalation succeed.
Frequently asked questions
Can I claim compensation for my broadband being down?
Yes. If your provider participates in the automatic compensation scheme, total loss of service not fixed within a set time triggers a set daily payment without you having to ask. For other losses, you can claim manually through the provider's complaints process.
How much compensation can I get for broadband problems?
Automatic compensation pays set amounts: from 1 April 2026, £32.31 for a missed appointment, £10.34 per day for a total loss of service not repaired after two full working days, and £6.46 per day for delayed activation, all uprated each April in line with CPI. Manual compensation depends on the loss and impact you can evidence. If a claim is refused, ADR can determine what the provider should pay.
Do I have to ask for compensation or is it automatic?
It depends. For the covered events, loss of service, delayed repair, missed appointments and delayed activation, participating providers should pay automatically without you asking. For losses outside the automatic scheme, you must claim manually through the provider's complaints process.
Which ISPs pay automatic compensation?
Providers that participate in Ofcom's automatic compensation scheme. Participation is not universal across every provider, so check whether yours is a member. If it is not, you would need to claim compensation manually rather than receiving automatic payments.
What do I need to claim manual compensation?
Evidence of what went wrong and its impact: the dates a problem started and ended, outage times, missed appointment dates, call references and any written confirmations. Set out the remedy you want, and escalate to ADR if the provider unfairly declines.
