Virgin Media Fined £23.8m for Leaving Telecare Users at Risk During Digital Landline Switch
Virgin Media has been hit with a £23.8m fine after Ofcom ruled the company left thousands of vulnerable customers without working telecare alarms during the move from analogue to digital landlines. Telecare systems, often used by older or disabled people, rely on landlines to alert carers or emergency services when help is needed — meaning that any loss of connection can have serious consequences.
The regulator said the company’s failures meant many users were left “at a direct risk of harm”, with some devices unable to reach alarm monitoring centres after being disconnected. Virgin Media had reported a series of incidents itself in late 2023, prompting a full investigation by Ofcom.
According to the watchdog, the main issues stemmed from not properly identifying which customers depended on telecare, leaving major gaps in the checks needed during the migration. Some customers who didn’t respond to engagement attempts were disconnected entirely, despite the company being aware of the risks. Ofcom said that the problems stretched from August 2022 to December 2023 and amounted to “serious system failures”.
Ian Strawhorne, Ofcom’s enforcement director, said: “It’s unacceptable that vulnerable customers were put at direct risk of harm and left without appropriate support by Virgin Media, during what should have been a safe and straightforward upgrade to their landline services.” He added that the fine should serve as a warning to any company neglecting its duty to protect vulnerable users.
Although the fine totals £23.8m, it includes a reduction because Virgin Media admitted its failings, cooperated with the investigation and disclosed the problems early. The money will go to the Treasury.
Virgin Media said most customers had been switched without problems but acknowledged it “didn’t get everything right”. A spokesperson repeated that “our customers’ safety is always our top priority”, saying the company has already carried out a full review and introduced new measures. These include clearer communication, extra in-home support, closer work with local authorities and telecare providers, and more checks after migration. The firm is also taking part in a national awareness campaign about the digital switchover.
Nearly 43,000 telecare customers have since been contacted to confirm their situation and ensure they have the support they need.
