Consumer wait time reduced

In 2025 Ofcom confirmed that there will be changes to its Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) rules, allowing consumers to escalate unresolved telecoms disputes sooner. These changes come into effect on 8 April 2026.

Here is everything you need to know;

At present, all telecoms consumers must give their provider 8 weeks to resolve any issues and disputes. This wait time is mandatory for disputes with all telecoms providers, regardless of whether they’re registered with Communications Ombudsman or CISAS, as it allows the provider time to put things right.

From 8 April 2026, consumers will now be able to refer unresolved disputes with their telecoms provider after 6 weeks from the date they first notified their provider of the issue - a reduction from the current 8-week waiting time.

This change is part of Ofcom’s drive to ensure quicker access to dispute resolution.

For full details, see Ofcom’s announcement here.

If a provider issues a written deadlock letter (occasionally referred to as a final response) stating that the provider is unable to resolve the dispute, the consumer bypasses the waiting periods and will be able to raise the dispute immediately, providing the dispute is within our Terms of Reference.

If the consumer first raised a complaint with their provider…

• before 8 April 2026, the consumer will need to give their provider 8 weeks to resolve the dispute (unless they receive a Deadlock Letter confirming they can approach us sooner).
• on or after 8 April 2026, the consumer will be able to register their unresolved dispute with us 6 weeks from the date they first notified their provider. Without a Deadlock letter, the earliest date the new wait time would be introduced is 20 May 2026 (six weeks from 8 April 2026).

Before submitting a complaint to Communications Ombudsman, it's important that consumers check when they first contacted their provider to complain about the problem.