Vulnerable Customer Policy

CUCKOO VULNERABLE CUSTOMER POLICY

1. Here to help our vulnerable customers the very best we can

We want our services to be available to as many people as possible, including those in more vulnerable situations who may also need additional support and have specific accessibility requirements.

This policy outlines how seriously we take our responsibility to our vulnerable customers and our total commitment to give them what they need to make their experience with Cuckoo respectful, seamless and enjoyable.

We know there are lots of different factors and life events (both temporary and permanent) which may make customers more vulnerable, such as:

• Age
• a physical or learning disability 
• a physical or mental illness
• physical or mental health problems 
• specific characteristics such as literacy skills 
• changes in personal circumstances such as bereavement, job loss or changes in household income.

This isn’t an exhaustive list and other factors that can also make customers more vulnerable (that are not stated here) are just as valid in needing additional support from us.

2. Please let us know

If you have any special requirements or if you are dealing with circumstances that make you feel vulnerable or need specific accessibility or customer service needs, please let us know when signing up or at any other time by contacting our Customer Services team. We also have a company-wide approach which means all our colleagues can help identify vulnerabilities in a customer.

Once we know there’s a need for additional support, we’ll make a note of this on your customer account so that any time you need to speak to a member of our team, they’re aware of your specific needs. We will also continue to adapt our service in line with your requirements and any changing circumstances.

We will hold any information that you provide to us in compliance with our Privacy Policy. From time to time, we may check this information with you to ensure that our records remain up to date.

Most importantly, we are keen to learn how best to support you. So we’d really like you to give us feedback on how we’re doing so that we can continually improve our service for you. All feedback (good and bad) is gratefully received and monitored at a very senior level within Cuckoo, so we can make quick and necessary changes if needed.

3. How we support our vulnerable customers

Here’s how we help and support our vulnerable customers:

Accessible formats: We can supply large print, braille or audio versions of any documentation including any bills or invoices. Please contact our Customer Care Team using any of the options listed in the ‘Contact us’ section below if you would like to receive documents in these formats.

Follow-up information: We can provide follow-up information in writing at the end of a conversation with our Customer Service team. This will be a recap of the conversation, the services you are purchasing/have purchased and any changes and actions agreed.

Third-party management, including bill management: You can appoint someone else, such as a relative, trusted friend or carer to speak to us about your account, receive copies of your bills and even pay your bills. To set this up, please contact our Customer Service Team. You will need to provide proof that they have Power of Attorney or are an appointed Deputy if you want this person to make decisions about your account, such as changing your package or closing your account. For further information on this, please see our Power of Attorney Guide.

Debt challenges: If you’re struggling with money or your financial position has changed, we’re here to help. Please contact our Customer Service team who can review your account and help, for example by reducing your monthly cost by moving you onto a different product. For further information, please see our Debt Assistance Policy.

Emergency Video Relay (999 BSL):  This service allows British Sign Language (BSL) users to make a video call to the emergency services via an interpreter. The interpreter translates what the deaf user is signing into spoken English for the emergency services operator, and signs what the operator is saying to the deaf user. For further information about how to use the 999 BSL service, please visit their website: https://999bsl.co.uk/

Bereavement: We know that bereavement is a difficult time and we want to do what we can to help. If the account holder has died and you wish to close the account or transfer the existing account into your name, please download our Bereavement Form and email it back to us. You can find the Bereavement form here along with more information

4. Other organisations which may be able to help

The following organisations may also provide useful information and support to any of our customers with vulnerabilities:

• Mental Health Foundation (www.mentalhealth.org.uk) Helping people understand, protect and sustain their mental health.
• MIND (www.mind.org.uk) Advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem.
• National Debt Helpline (https://.www.nationaldebtadviceline.org.uk) Free and confidential debt advice service run by the Money Advice Trust.
• Samaritans (https://www.samaritans.org/) Providing emotional support to anyone in emotional distress.
• Step Change (https://www.stepchange.org/) Expert debt advice and fee-free debt management.
• Alzheimer's Society (https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/) Information and support for people affected by dementia.
• The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) (https://www.rnib.org.uk/) A leading sight loss charity and the largest community of blind and partially sighted people.
• Action on Hearing Loss (https://rnid.org.uk/) The UK charity supporting deaf people and those with hearing loss and tinnitus.

The following apps also provide assistance to customers with vulnerabilities:

• Be My Eyes (https://www.bemyeyes.com/) An app for those who are blind or partially sighted
• Petralex (https://petralex.pro/en) An app specifically designed to help people with hearing impairments.
• Wheel Map (https://wheelmap.org/) An app which marks places for their accessibility
• Voiceitt (https://voiceitt.com/) An app for people with non-standard speech

5. Contact us

If you are in a vulnerable situation and need extra help, you can let us know by sending us an email to hello@cuckoo.co by calling us on +44 203 389 7211 or by writing to us at:

Cuckoo Internet Limited, 6th Floor, 33 Holborn, London, EC1N 2HT

Once we hear from you we will register this on your account so that we can consider your extra needs. Any information you provide to us will be treated in strict confidence and in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

6. Date

This Policy applies with effect from 8th December 2023