Details of compensation arrangements for Wallasey residents who have lost their phone lines are being demanded by a Wallasey Councillor.
Many residents in Wallasey Village have seen their service interrupted or, in some cases, lost altogether for up to four weeks.
Now, Councillor Lesley Rennie (Conservative, Wallasey Ward) is demanding OpenReach and other telecom provides make their customers aware of compensation that is due to them and when the service will be reinstated.
Under a scheme introduced in 2019, broadband or landline customers are entitled to compensation of £8 each day the fault isn’t repaired if their service has stopped working.
Most telecoms companies, which between them have about 90% of broadband and home phone users as customers, are covered by the scheme including BT, Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin Media
Councillor Rennie said: “Over the last few weeks’, Councillor Ian Lewis and I have received numerous enquiries from residents, increasingly exasperated at the delay in reinstating their phone service.
“While most residents now have mobile phones, the landline is for some people a lifeline – whether it’s for their home security or, in some cases, for emergency pendant alarms for people at risk of falls, ill health or cancer treatments.
“Last week, we visited a resident in Northcote Road who had their phone line cut off, causing concern to family members about their welfare.
“Yet, so far, there has been silence from the telecoms companies – these companies, including OpenReach, need to be held to account for this appalling service failure. When is the service going to be reinstated and when is compensation going to be paid?”
