Broadband down for days: what compensation can you get?

Report the fault now: the report matters for compensation.

The answer in 2 lines. England has an automatic compensation scheme for participating residential broadband and landline services. Report a complete loss of service promptly: eligibility depends on when the fault was reported and how long repair takes. Slow Wi-Fi is a different issue. Keep your fault reference, outage dates and spending receipts. If your service is outside the scheme, ask about contractual compensation and a refund. Challenge missing payments through your provider's complaints procedure.

Build your record

Check whether the problem affects all devices or only one connection, then report the fault through your provider's usual support channel.
Record the report time, fault reference, troubleshooting requested and promised updates.
Check participation using Ofcom's automatic-compensation page; read the eligibility conditions alongside the provider list.
Keep restoration messages, bills and receipts for reasonable temporary connectivity costs you intend to claim.

Stop: danger

Telecare affected: if an alarm or health pendant depends on the failed connection, contact its service provider promptly and arrange an alternative way to obtain help. Read GOV.UK's digital-landline guidance to check the issues to raise.
Damaged electrical equipment: do not keep testing a router or power supply that is wet, scorched or visibly damaged.

First establish what has failed

A wireless problem inside the home is not necessarily a broadband-line outage. Check another device and, if practical, a wired connection. Follow the provider's instructions rather than repeatedly resetting equipment.

Use Ofcom's broadband and Wi-Fi help to distinguish connection problems from weak wireless coverage. Tell support what you tested and whether the router and fibre terminal have power.

If the whole home has lost electricity, the broadband equipment may simply be unpowered. Record that distinction when discussing the cause and eligibility.

How automatic compensation works

For eligible services, the published 2026 repair-delay rate is £10.34. An initial payment becomes due if the service remains unfixed after two full working days following your fault report, with further daily payments while the qualifying outage continues.

Payment is normally a bill credit, due within 30 calendar days after restoration or service termination. Check your account as well as the next bill. Scheme exclusions can include problems caused by equipment or activity within your home, or customer actions that delay repair. Ask for a written explanation of any exclusion relied on.

Automatic compensation is not a universal statutory daily payment for every connection. Participation, the service affected and the facts matter.

What not to do

Waiting until the connection returns before reporting the original fault.
Stopping your direct debit without resolving the disputed bill: this can create a separate payment problem.
Assuming a slow connection automatically qualifies as a complete loss of service.
Accepting an unexplained credit without asking which dates and claims it covers.

Ask for a clear financial outcome

Write: 'I reported loss of service on [date], reference [reference]. Service returned on [date]. Please confirm the compensation calculation, any subscription adjustment and when these will appear on my account.'

If outside the automatic scheme, ask what the contract provides and request an appropriate refund or credit. Ask for the relevant terms rather than relying on a verbal promise.

For additional spending, explain why it was necessary and attach receipts. Reimbursement of mobile data, travel or lost work is not guaranteed. Ask whether a temporary connection can be supplied before committing to substantial costs. Keep additional expenses separate from your request for the standard scheme payment.

If the provider does not put it right

Use the formal complaints procedure on your bill or provider's website. Include the fault history, bills, disputed calculation and requested remedy.

For escalation, follow Ofcom's ADR guidance: use its checker to identify the provider's scheme and submit the evidence requested. Independent dispute resolution is free for eligible consumers.

The current waiting period is six weeks from the formal complaint, or earlier if a deadlock letter is issued, under the change effective from 8 April 2026. A fault reference alone should not leave you uncertain whether a formal complaint has been recorded: ask for confirmation.

Good to know

These telecoms arrangements also operate beyond England; tenancy, court and local advice procedures can differ in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
If disability or a health condition makes the outage especially difficult, explain your needs and ask what additional support is available. Ofcom's resilience guidance explains matters to discuss with your provider.
Keep copies outside the affected broadband account so you can access evidence during the outage.

Illustrative example: Aisha in Sheffield reports a complete outage and saves the fault reference. After restoration, she checks the account credit against the recorded dates. The calculation appears incomplete, so she makes a formal complaint and attaches the original report, restoration message and bill. She lists temporary data costs separately.

A made-up story, for illustration.

Bobby

Sources, verification, confidence

Verified on 6 November 2026, for England. Confidence: high for the published 2026 scheme rate, repair threshold, payment timing and complaint rules; medium for individual eligibility, contractual refunds and additional expenses, which depend on the circumstances and evidence.