Compensation and remedy policy

Overview

Wandle is committed to providing fair, proportionate and timely redress where our services fall below the expected standard. This Compensation Policy sets out how we identify, assess and award remedies to residents when service failure has occurred.

This policy applies to:

• All residents across Wandle’s mixed tenure portfolio; and
• Any connected persons who are reasonably impacted by Wandle’s actions or omissions.
• The policy reflects the principle that compensation is restorative rather than punitive, and that remedies should aim to put residents back, as far as reasonably possible, into the position they would have been in had the service failure not occurred.

Regulatory and strategic context

This policy aligns with the Housing Ombudsman’s Compensation Guidance (published February 2026 and effective from 1 April 2026), which establishes a consistent sector‑wide approach to compensation, emphasising transparency, proportionality and early resolution. The guidance expects landlords to audit and update their policies to ensure fair and consistent outcomes for residents.

The policy also supports compliance with the Regulator of Social Housing’s consumer standards, including:

• Transparency, influence and accountability; and
• Quality and safety expectations that underpin putting things right when service failures occur.

Organisational values and strategic alignment

This Compensation Policy has been developed in line with Wandle’s values, which are:

• Think resident
• Build relationships
• Work together
• Aim high
• Own it

It will ensure that actions we undertake will be underpinned by our vision of

“Right Homes, Right Services, Right Support” achieved through our people and culture and enabled by robust infrastructure, strong governance and financial resilience.

This policy contributes towards the delivery of the following strategies:

• The Customer Experience Strategy
• The Asset Management Strategy
• The Resident Experience Strategy
• The Value for money Strategy

Related policies and documents

This policy should be read in conjunction with:

• Compensation and Remedy Procedure
• The Complaint Policy
• Additional Assistance and Reasonable Adjustments Policy
• The Safeguarding Policy
• Other service delivery policies

Policy objectives

The objectives of this policy are to:

Restore residents, as far as reasonably possible, to the position they would have been in if the service failure had not occurred

Ensure decisions are consistent, proportionate, and transparent, and aligned with Housing Ombudsman guidance

Resolve issues at the earliest opportunity to prevent escalation

Support continuous improvement by learning from compensation payments

Monitoring and assurance

Wandle will monitor the effectiveness of this policy through:

• Monthly reporting on compensation payments by category and amount
• Quarterly analysis of trends and patterns in compensation awards
• Annual review of policy effectiveness and outcomes
• Annual review of Housing Ombudsman determinations, spotlight reports, guidance and annual statements
• Sector benchmarking of good practice and performance metrics
• Resident feedback, scrutiny and recommendations through the resident engagement strategy
• Resident satisfaction surveys including TSMs and post compensation awards
• Regular training and briefings for staff
• Quality assurance reviews of compensation decisions
• Colleague feedback

Monthly reports will be provided to the Senior Management Team, Executive Director Team and Board to ensure oversight and continuous improvement in our approach to compensation.

Wandle will communicate performance and learning to residents and stakeholders through the following reports:

• Annual Complaints Performance and Service Improvement Report
• Housing Ombudsman annual self-assessment form

Compensation data, feedback and internal audits will be used to identify service improvement opportunities and prevent similar issues occurring in the future. Actions may include policy changes, process improvements, additional staff training, or system enhancements.

Compensation may be awarded where:

• Wandle has failed to meet our published service standards, including delays, poor communication and missed appointments
• There has been maladministration or unreasonable delays as defined by the Housing Ombudsman
• A resident has experienced quantifiable financial loss due to Wandle’s actions (e.g. higher energy bills, travel and temporary accommodation)
• A resident has experienced distress, inconvenience or time and trouble caused by Wandle’s handling of an issue
• A resident has been unable to use all or part of their home due to Wandle’s actions or failures
• A statutory or regulatory requirement applies (e.g. Home Loss, Disturbance, Right to Repair, Ombudsman orders)
• A situation meets the Housing Ombudsman’s Specific Compensation Orders (2026) detailed in section 10.

Compensation remedies may include one or more of the following categories:

• Mandatory compensation required by law or regulation (e.g. Home Loss, Disturbance Payments, Right to Repair, Ombudsman orders)

• Quantifiable financial loss, reimbursing evidenced and unavoidable costs incurred by the resident such as utilities, travel, storage, temporary accommodation. 

• Discretionary compensation, including awards for distress, inconvenience, time and trouble or repeated service failures

• Non‑financial remedies, such as apologies, corrective action, service improvements, priority repairs or staff training

Compensation will not normally be awarded where:

• The issue was outside Wandle’s control (e.g. severe weather, national supply chain failures)
• Reasonable access was refused or not provided
• The damage or issue was caused by the resident such as negligence or unauthorised alterations
• The issue is the responsibility of a third party (unless there was service failure in Wandle’s management of that issue)
• The matter is already subject to legal action were legal proceedings have been issued
• Claims relate to loss of earnings or holiday entitlement except with regard to time and trouble in line with Ombudsman guidance
• Disruption was short term, unavoidable and associated with essential works
• Adequate advance warning was given and work completed within agreed timescales
• Claims relate to personal belongings where contents insurance applies (unless directly caused by Wandle or its contractors)
• Claims relate to personal injury or health impacts (these will be referred to Wandle’s insurers at insurance@wandle.com)
• Complaints are raised by a third party without appropriate authority

We will restore residents, as far as reasonably possible, to the position they would have been in had the service failure not occurred, recognising that in some cases financial compensation is appropriate and in others non-financial remedies are more effective.

We recognise that compensation is not a penalty, but a fair and proportionate remedy.

We accept responsibility for the actions of contractors acting on Wandle’s behalf.

Compensation decisions will be guided by the following principles:

• Early resolution: aiming to resolve issues quickly and prevent escalation
• Fairness & proportionality: reflecting the impact, duration, cumulative effect and any vulnerabilities.
• Consistency with Ombudsman guidance: adopting the 2026 specific compensation orders and structured categories to avoid under- or over-awards

Non-financial remedies

Non-financial remedies may include:

•  A sincere apology
•  Gestures of goodwill (e.g vouchers for low-value awards)
•  Corrective or priority action
•  Service or policy changes
•  Staff coaching or training
•  Financial remedies

Financial remedies may include:

• Specific compensation orders which include defined sums
• Loss of use of property
• Quantifiable financial loss
• Unquantifiable financial loss
• Distress, inconvenience, time and trouble.

 Assessment criteria

When determining remedies, Wandle will consider:

• Vulnerability and whether reasonable adjustments were made
• Severity and duration of impact
• Cumulative effect of failures
• Whether Wandle policy and procedures were followed
• Actions already taken to resolve the matter
• Whether actions of the resident or third parties mitigated or worsened the issue

Loss of heating/hot water/power/missed appointment

Failure	Amount	When payable
Total loss of heating	£15 per day	After first 24 hours
Loss of one service (heating or hot water)	£8 per day	After first 24 hours
Total loss of electricity (power)	£10 per day	After first 24 hours
Lighting only loss	£10 per week	For duration of loss
Missed appointment	£15 per appointment	When failure occurs

Loss of use of property (room/amenity)

Assessed as a percentage of weekly rent (cap of 50% unless exceptional circumstances justify more):

Room/Amenity	% of weekly rent	When payable
Kitchen	30%	After first 48 hours
Bathroom (only bathroom)	30%	After first 48 hours
Bathroom (additional WC available)	20%	After first 48 hours
Bedroom	20%	After first 48 hours
Living room	20%	After first 48 hours
Garden/outdoor space	Up to 5%	Seasonal: May–Oct
Whole property enjoyment affected	Up to 100%	Exceptional circumstances

Complaint Handling Failure

Severity of Complaint Handling Failure	Typical Compensation Indicators
Low (minor delay or 1–2 chasers)	Up to £50
Medium (multiple chasers, avoidable escalation delays, unclear communication)	Up to £100
High (significant delay, blocking escalation, months of avoidance, added distress)	Up to £250

Quantifiable and unquantifiable financial loss

Quantifiable financial loss is reimbursed where reasonably incurred and evidenced (e.g. increased utilities for heaters/dehumidifiers, temporary accommodation/storage, decoration where we failed to make good, travel/phone costs).

Unquantifiable financial loss applies where loss likely occurred but cannot be fully evidenced. Indicative ranges:

Impact level	Range
Minor	Up to £100
Moderate	£100–£600
Extensive	£600–£1000
Severe	£1000+

The Housing Ombudsman guidance does not publish any fixed monetary ranges or tariff tables for stress, inconvenience, or time and trouble. Instead, the Ombudsman sets out principles, not set amounts which are seen as discretionary compensation rather than mandatory or quantifiable loss categories.

Awards are based on individual circumstances, and the Ombudsman emphasises that compensation should be fair, proportionate and case specific. There is no fixed schedule in the guidance. The guidance stipulates that landlords should consider the following key factors:

• the impact on the resident
• aggravating factors such as vulnerabilities, duration, landlord behaviour
• mitigating factors

To support consistency and transparency, Wandle adopts the following indicative ranges:

Impact	Range	Description
Minimal Impact	£25 – £75	Minor service failure; quick resolution; minimal extra time spent.
Low Impact	£75 – £150	Clear inconvenience but short duration; multiple chasers; mild distress.
Moderate Impact	£150 – £350	Prolonged service failure; repeated chasing; moderate distress; some vulnerability factors.
Significant Impact	£350 – £700	Serious distress or disruption; long delays; major inconvenience; vulnerability increases impact.
Severe Impact	£700 – £1,500	Severe and sustained distress; landlord repeatedly failed; major aggravating factors.
Exceptional / Severe Maladministration	£1,500 – £3,500+	Extreme distress; multi‑year issues; serious maladministration; safeguarding or major health impacts.

Payment methods

 Compensation will normally be paid by:

• Bank transfer (BACS) – preferred method
• Credit to rent account (with resident’s agreement)
• Vouchers for small amounts (under £50)

Compensation payments will be made within 21 working days of acceptance by the resident. Where practical actions are required before payment, these will be completed first.

 Offsetting against arrears

In line with Housing Ombudsman guidance, compensation should normally be paid directly to residents and not offset against rent arrears. However, offsetting may be considered where:

• The resident specifically requests offsetting
• Arrears are not the subject of the complaint
• There is a risk of legal proceedings or eviction

In all cases:

• Consideration will be given as to whether offsetting would be fair to the resident in the circumstances
• Out-of-pocket expenses will always be paid directly to residents, even where arrears exist

In line with our complaints policy, Wandle has a two-stage complaint handling process. Following a stage 1 outcome, if a resident disagrees, they can request it to escalate to the next stage of the process – which is stage 2. Once a stage 2 has been answered and the resident is unhappy with the outcome, our complaints process has been exhausted, and the next stage would be to refer the complaint to the Housing Ombudsman Service within 12 months of the date of the stage 2 outcome.

Where a resident disagrees with only the compensation offered, we can consider this within an appeal.

Right to appeal

If a resident is dissatisfied with a compensation decision, they may appeal this within 20 working days of the decision. Appeals should set out:

• Why they remain dissatisfied with the compensation offer
• What they believe has been missed or incorrectly assessed
• What outcome they are seeking
• Any additional information or evidence

Appeals review

Appeals will be reviewed by a senior manager who was not involved in the original decision. The review will consider whether:

• The policy has been correctly applied
• All relevant factors have been considered
• The decision is reasonable and proportionate
• Any new evidence changes the assessment

Appeal decisions will be communicated within 10 working days. If still dissatisfied, residents may escalate their complaint to Stage 2 of the complaints procedure or contact the Housing Ombudsman.

Role	Responsibilities
Executive Director – Corporate Services	Overall accountability: ensures effective resources and governance needed to put things right for residents.
Complaints Improvement Manager (CIM)	Policy owner; responsible for QA of decisions; learning; training; reporting; and ensuring alignment with Ombudsman guidance.
Stage 2 & Housing Ombudsman Lead	Ensures fairness and consistency; leads on learning from outcomes and recommends improvements.
Customer Resolution Officers (CROs)	Resolve early; apply policy and procedure; make awards within delegated authority.
Customer Resolution Administrators	Process payments; maintains accurate records.
Service teams & Contractors	Provide evidence promptly; complete remedial actions; support learning.

Authorisation thresholds (aligned to Financial Regulations & Delegations):

Awards over £1,000 require written justification and CIM review before Executive approval. Finance will maintain a dedicated compensation cost centre and produce quarterly forecasts for oversight.

Compensation amount	Authorised by
Up to £500	Customer Resolution Officer
£501–£1,000	Stage 2 & Housing Ombudsman Lead
£1,001–£3,000	Complaints Improvement Manager
£3,001–£10,000	Executive Director – Corporate Services
£10,001+	Chief Executive

Wandle recognises that compensation represents the use of residents’ money and must therefore be managed responsibly and transparently. Delivering value for money does not mean avoiding compensation where it is justified; it means ensuring that compensation is fair, proportionate, consistent and used to drive lasting service improvement.

We will deliver value for money by:

• Aligning compensation decisions with Housing Ombudsman guidance to avoid under or over awards
• Resolving issues early to reduce escalation, complaint handling costs and additional detriment to residents
• Considering non‑financial remedies first where these provide a more meaningful and effective outcome
• Monitoring compensation trends to identify repeat or systemic service failures and address root causes

Compensation spend will be subject to appropriate authorisation, monitoring and reporting, and used to inform service improvements aimed at reducing future failures and avoidable cost.

Internal

• Complaints Policy
• Additional Assistance & Reasonable Adjustments Policy
• Safeguarding Policy
• Repairs & Maintenance Policy (incl. Right to Repair)
• Temporary Move (Decant) Procedure (Home Loss/Disturbance)
• Financial Regulations & Delegated Authority

External

• Pre-Action Protocol for Housing Disrepair (England)
• Housing Ombudsman – Compensation Policy (for landlords)
• Housing Ombudsman – Compensation Guidance (2026)
• Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code (2024)
• Regulator of Social Housing – Consumer Standards and guidance

• Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023.
• Building Safety Act 2022.
• Equality Act 2010.
• Data Protection Act 2018.
• Localism Act 2011.
• Landlord and Tenant Act 1985.
• Housing Acts 1985/1996.
• Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018.
• Defective Premises Act 1972; HHSRS (2006).
• Pre Action Protocol for Housing Disrepair (England).
• Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code (2024).
• Housing Ombudsman Compensation Guidance (2026).

This policy supports compliance with the:

• Regulator of Social Housing’s Consumer Standards, especially Transparency, Influence & Accountability including clear information and involvement
• Home Standard’s quality of accommodation and putting things right
  

We will adapt the policy as Housing Ombudsman and Regulator Social Housing  requirements evolve and evidence compliance through monitoring, reporting and assurance activities.

Compensation (financial): restorative payments for impacts directly arising from Wandle’s failings.

Specific compensation orders: defined sums for common failures e.g. heating, power, appointments.

Quantifiable financial loss: evidenced, reasonably incurred costs e.g. utilities, travel.

Unquantifiable financial loss: likely monetary loss not fully evidenced and using structured ranges.

Distress, inconvenience, time & trouble: impact of service failure and poor complaint handling applied using structured ranges.

Loss of use of property: room or amenity not usable due to our failure; assessed as % of rent.

Equality & Diversity is central to our business; promoting fairness and opportunity for customers and staff; helping provide the best services shaped by and for customers; and right for recruiting and developing our staff.

We are committed to celebrating diversity. To ensure equal access to our services is available, Wandle will comply with the Equality Act 2010 and all other legislative requirements relating to equality. We will work to avoid exclusions or restrictions that are not appropriate to the housing and support needs of our tenants and that may lead to discrimination. We will endeavour to ensure that all tenants receive a consistent level of quality service.

Equality Consideration

Decisions will consider vulnerability and whether reasonable adjustments were or should have been made. Where impact is disproportionately severe due to vulnerability, awards may be increased accordingly.