Key takeaways
General Condition C5 requires all UK telecoms providers to take specific steps to support disabled customers and ensure comparable access to communications services. The condition was updated as part of the 2026 General Conditions consolidation which came into force on 8 April 2026.
Mandatory services for disabled customers include: text relay (allowing people with hearing or speech impairments to make voice calls), priority fault repair (faster response when a disabled customer's primary means of communication fails), and free directory enquiries for customers who cannot use printed directories due to a disability.
Providers must ensure their complaint handling procedures are accessible to disabled customers. All contracts and service information must be available in accessible formats. The PSTN switch-off to VoIP presents specific challenges for customers using telecare devices or text relay -- providers have enhanced obligations toward vulnerable customers during the transition.
Relay UK (formerly Next Generation Text) is the modern text relay service, replacing the older BT Text Direct. It allows deaf, hard of hearing and speech-impaired people to communicate via a relay assistant who speaks for the caller or types responses. All providers of voice telephony services must support Relay UK.
If you are a disabled customer and your provider is not meeting its C5 obligations, you can complain to the provider, escalate to the Communications Ombudsman or CISAS, and report persistent systemic failures to Ofcom.
Reviewed: June 2026Key facts
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What General Condition C5 requires
General Condition C5 sets out Ofcom's requirements for how telecoms providers must treat disabled customers and ensure they can access communications services comparably to non-disabled customers. C5 is part of the wider General Conditions of Entitlement -- the mandatory regulatory framework that all providers of public electronic communications services in the UK must comply with.
The condition was most recently updated as part of the consolidation of the General Conditions that came into force on 8 April 2026. C5 covers two broad areas: specific services that providers must offer to disabled customers (text relay, priority fault repair, free directory enquiries) and general accessibility obligations (accessible complaint procedures, accessible service information, support during network transitions).
Text relay: Relay UK
All providers of voice telephony services must support text relay, enabling customers with hearing or speech impairments to make and receive voice calls through a relay assistant. The modern service is Relay UK, which replaced the older Next Generation Text (NGT) service. Users can access Relay UK through a dedicated app or via a textphone.
To make a call using Relay UK, the caller dials 18001 followed by the number they want to reach. A relay assistant joins the call, speaking the text user's typed messages to the hearing person and typing back what the hearing person says. The hearing person does not need to do anything differently -- they simply receive a call where a relay assistant says 'this is a relay call' and then relays the conversation. To receive calls via relay, textphone users register their number so that callers can reach them via 18002.
Providers must also support emergency text relay -- allowing people with hearing or speech impairments to contact 999 and 112 via text. This is set out in General Condition C5.8 and C5.10. Providers of mobile services must support SMS access to emergency services for registered users.
Priority fault repair
Providers must offer priority fault repair to disabled customers for whom their communications service is their primary or only means of contacting emergency services or maintaining essential communications. If a customer has registered as disabled and dependent on their phone or broadband, and their service develops a fault, the provider must prioritise the repair over standard timescales.
The priority fault repair obligation is most important for customers with conditions affecting mobility or health who rely on their phone line for emergency alarms, medical monitoring or contact with carers. Providers must have a registration process for disabled customers who need this priority treatment, and must make customers aware of the availability of priority fault repair.
Free directory enquiries
Providers must offer free directory enquiry services to customers who cannot use printed telephone directories because of a disability -- including visual impairments, physical impairments preventing manual handling of a directory, or cognitive impairments. This ensures that disabled customers are not financially penalised for being unable to use the standard directory enquiry methods available to other customers.
Accessible information and complaint processes
General Condition C5 requires providers to ensure their communications with disabled customers are accessible. This includes: providing contracts and bills in accessible formats (large print, audio, Braille or electronic formats) on request; ensuring that complaint handling procedures are accessible to customers with disabilities (including those with visual, hearing or cognitive impairments); and providing customer service through channels that disabled customers can use.
Ofcom's consolidated General Conditions (effective 8 April 2026) reinforce these obligations with updated requirements reflecting the current range of assistive technologies and accessible communication methods available.
The PSTN switch-off and vulnerable customers
The switch from the copper PSTN to VoIP-based digital telephony (Digital Voice) presents specific challenges for some disabled customers. Telecare alarm devices, hearing loops in some older handsets, and certain assistive technologies may not work correctly on VoIP lines without modification or replacement.
Ofcom has imposed enhanced obligations on providers for the transition of vulnerable and disabled customers. Providers must identify customers who may be affected -- including those with registered disabilities, telecare users, and customers identified through priority fault repair registration -- and actively support them through the migration. Providers must not migrate vulnerable or disabled customers to VoIP without first confirming their equipment will work and offering appropriate support or alternatives.
Emergency video relay
In addition to text relay, Ofcom has introduced emergency video relay, which allows British Sign Language users to contact the emergency services via a BSL interpreter. Providers must support access to the emergency video relay service as part of their obligations to ensure disabled customers can contact emergency organisations. Ofcom has published specific guidance on emergency video relay in a dedicated section of its website.
Related guides
Disclaimer: This guide is for informational purposes only. Kael Tripton Ltd is not regulated by the FCA. Sources: Ofcom, legislation.gov.uk, GOV.UK. Verify at ofcom.org.uk.
Frequently asked questions
What rights do disabled customers have with their telecoms provider?
Under Ofcom's General Condition C5, disabled customers have the right to: text relay services (Relay UK) for voice calls; priority fault repair if they rely on the service for essential communication; free directory enquiries if they cannot use printed directories; accessible formats for contracts, bills and information; and accessible complaint procedures. Providers must not treat disabled customers less favourably than other customers.
What is Relay UK and how does it work?
Relay UK is the text relay service that allows deaf, hard of hearing and speech-impaired people to make and receive phone calls through a relay assistant. To make a call, dial 18001 followed by the phone number. A relay assistant speaks your typed messages to the other person and types their spoken responses back to you. All UK voice telephony providers must support Relay UK.
What is priority fault repair for disabled customers?
If you are a disabled customer and your phone or broadband service is your primary means of contacting emergency services or maintaining essential communications, you can register for priority fault repair with your provider. This means if your service develops a fault, the provider must fix it faster than standard repair timescales. Contact your provider to register.
Can I get my bills and contracts in accessible formats?
Yes. Under General Condition C5, providers must provide contracts, bills and service information in accessible formats on request -- including large print, audio format, Braille or electronic formats. Contact your provider's accessibility team or complaints department to request accessible format communications.
What happens to disabled customers during the PSTN switch-off?
Ofcom has imposed enhanced obligations on providers for migrating vulnerable and disabled customers from the copper PSTN to VoIP-based Digital Voice. Providers must identify affected customers, confirm their equipment (including telecare alarms and assistive technology) will work on VoIP, and offer support or alternatives before migrating. If you use a telecare device or have concerns, contact your provider before your line is switched.
How do I complain if my provider is not meeting its C5 obligations?
Raise the complaint with your provider using its formal complaints process. If unresolved after 8 weeks, escalate to the Communications Ombudsman or CISAS. For systemic failures -- where a provider is routinely not meeting its disabled customer obligations -- you can also report this to Ofcom at ofcom.org.uk. Ofcom can investigate and take enforcement action.
What is emergency video relay?
Emergency video relay allows British Sign Language users to contact the emergency services (999 and 112) via a BSL interpreter. The service connects the caller via video to an interpreter who relays the call to the emergency operator. Ofcom requires providers to support access to emergency video relay as part of their obligations to ensure disabled customers can contact emergency organisations.
Are social tariffs available for disabled customers?
Social tariffs -- discounted broadband packages -- are available based on receipt of qualifying benefits (Universal Credit, Pension Credit, ESA etc) rather than specifically on disability status. If you receive qualifying benefits and have a disability, you are likely eligible for a social tariff. Ofcom publishes a list of available social tariffs at ofcom.org.uk. Separately, some providers offer specific packages for customers with disabilities through their accessibility programmes.
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