In this guide, we will look at who could be eligible to make customer service UK GDPR data breach compensation claims. If a customer support team loses your data, or sends your personal information to the wrong recipient then we look at how this could affect you.
We will explain how your personal data is protected by the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and Data Protection Act 2018. You will also learn what criteria you need to meet in order to claim and the kinds of personal data that customer services might hold about you.
Please contact Legal Expert to see if you are eligible to claim data breach compensation. If you have legitimate grounds to claim, one of our expert No Win No Fee solicitors can help you pursue compensation. Get in touch using the details below:
- Call our claims helpline on 0800 073 8804
- ‘Contact us’ to see if you can claim
- Or ask us a question using the web chat in the corner of your screen
Select A Section
- What Are Customer Service UK GDPR Data Breach Compensation Claims?
- How Could A Company’s Customer Service Department Breach Your Data?
- What Sensitive Or Personal Information Could Customer Services Hold?
- How Does Data Protection Affect Customer Service?
- Calculating Customer Service Data Breach Compensation Claims
- Can I Use A No Win No Fee Solicitor For Customer Service UK GDPR Data Breach Claims
What Are Customer Service UK GDPR Data Breach Compensation Claims?
A customer services data breach could happen if a customer support department at a company compromises the protection of a customer’s data. Human error can cause a data breach, or a data breach can happen deliberately. For example, if criminals carry out a cyberattack on a business to steal customer data.
Data breaches can happen for different reasons, and not all who suffer through a data breach will be eligible to make a personal data breach compensation claim. Below, we look at the eligibility criteria for such a claim:
- An organisation fails to meet their obligations under data protection laws. For example, they may not have trained their employees to protect the data. Or, the company may have had an inadequate cyber security system that did not prevent a cyber attack.
- Your personal data was affected in a resulting breach.
- As a consequence, you experienced psychological harm or financial loss (or a combination) because of the data breach.
Please get in touch with us to see if you are eligible to make a UK GDPR personal data breach claim.
How Could A Company’s Customer Service Department Breach Your Data?
A personal data breach is considered a data security incident that compromises the security, confidentiality and integrity of your personal data. But what can actually cause this to happen:
- An employee from an organisation loses physical files containing personal data, leading you to suffer anxiety.
- Inadequate staff training results in a customer’s personal information being published online, causing them to spend substantial amounts on additional home security.
- A customer support representative discusses a customer’s data with colleagues without authorisation.
- Despite having your correct details, a customer service employee sends an email to the wrong address. The disclosure leaves you with long-term anxiety.
- Customer data is accessed without authorisation when a customer service representative shares a password with a colleague from another department.
Unfortunately, cyber-attacks are a growing problem for businesses. According to the Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2024, 50% of UK businesses reported a cyber attack in the last 12 months. The most common type of attack involved phishing, affecting 84% of those businesses.
Our examples aren’t exhaustive, so please don’t hesitate to share your own experience with our team. They are live 24/7 and can provide you with a free, no-obligation case assessment to see if you can claim.
What Sensitive Or Personal Information Could Customer Services Hold?
What personal information could be involved in customer service UK GDPR data breach compensation claims?
A customer support department may collect your personal data to provide you with a service. Personal data is information that identifies a person, such as your first name and surname, national insurance number, and date of birth.
Sometimes, a business may also hold more sensitive information. Under the UK GDPR, such information needs extra protections as special category data. This type of personal data can include information related to your:
- Racial or ethnic origin
- Health and biometrics
- Religious or philosophical beliefs
- Sexual orientation
Can Customer Support Departments Breach Your Special Category Data?
It is possible for customer support departments to breach your special category data. For example, a private healthcare provider will store medical records. Or a counselling service may be privy to personal information about the client’s mental health.
That can have far-reaching consequences and potentially cause psychological harm. You can speak to our team to learn more about the different types of personal data that a breach might affect.
How Does Data Protection Affect Customer Service?
Customer service departments must protect the personal data they collect under the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.
Businesses could do the following to help prevent data breaches from taking place:
- Provide their employees with data awareness training to stop employees from making errors that lead to customer service data breaches.
- Companies should ensure adequate onsite security to prevent workplace devices from being stolen.
- In addition, businesses should make sure they have a robust cyber security system to protect against malware, hacking and cyberattacks.
If a business fails to comply with the UK GDPR, it could be liable for any harm caused by a personal data breach. You can share your own experience by getting in touch with our advisory team.
Calculating Customer Service Data Breach Compensation Claims
Customer service data breach compensation claims are calculated using a variety of factors. Your claim may be made up of:
- Non-material damage: Psychological harm, such as depression and anxiety.
- Material damage: Financial losses stemming from the breach.
Solicitors sometimes use the Judicial College Guidelines to assess non-material damage. This document publishes suggestive compensation brackets for many kinds of harm, including those resulting in conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder.
You can use the table below to see a selection of JCG brackets (excluding the top row, which isn’t from the document). The table should only be used as a guide as every single claim is different.
| Form of Harm | Severity | Guidelines |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple forms of severe harm with financial impact (such as extra home security costs) | Severe | Up to £500,000+ |
| Psychiatric damage generally | Severe | £66,920 to £141,240 |
| Moderately severe | £23,270 to £66,920 | |
| Moderate | £7,150 to £23,270 | |
| Less severe | £1,880 to £7,150 | |
| Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) | Severe | £73,050 to £122,850 |
| Moderately severe | £28,250 to £73,050 | |
| Moderate | £9,980 to £28,250 | |
| Less severe | £4,820 to £9,980 |
Whatever queries you have about compensation, our team of advisors are happy to help. Get in touch today by using the contact details listed in this guide.
Can I Use No Win No Fee Solicitors For Customer Service UK GDPR Data Breach Claims
Yes, you can use No Win No Fee solicitors for customer service UK GDPR data breach compensation claims if you get in touch with our advisory team today.
If eligible, you can seek data breach compensation under the generous terms of a Conditional Fee Agreement, meaning:
- You won’t have to pay upfront solicitor fees
- There will be no additional solicitor fees appearing during the claims process.
- Zero solicitor fees to pay if your claim fails.
If you win compensation, you will pay for your solicitor’s work in the form of a success fee. While it comes out of your compensation, the fee is kept small as the percentage taken is legally capped. So, you can have peace of mind that you will keep the majority of your compensation.
Why Work With Our Personal Data Breach Solicitors?
Our personal data breach solicitors use their decades of combined experience to make customer service data breach claims more straightforward for eligible claimants. They are experts in data breach claims, and have successfully secured more than £80 million in compensation for clients across the country.
Here’s how one of our experienced solicitors can assist with your case and help you pursue compensation:
- Helping you to collect the evidence that will improve your chances of success
- Handling communication with the defending party and courts where required
- Providing you with simple legal definitions and helping you to understand key parts of the process
- Explaining what your potential customer service data breach compensation might cover and expertly negotiating your payout to reflect this
- Connect you with specialists who may assist with your recovery, such as an experienced psychologist
Customer service UK GDPR data breach compensation claims do not require those affected to hire a solicitor to represent them. However, if you have been harmed because of a data breach, it is likely that you already have a lot on your plate. One of our solicitors can ease some of the strain by taking on all aspects of the claims process, so you can stay focused on your wellbeing.
If you have any questions about claiming customer service UK GDPR breach compensation or would like to assess your eligibility, reach out to our team today. They can give you the answers you need free of charge and with no obligation to work with us afterwards.
- Call us on 0800 073 8804 to speak to a claims advisor
- Enquire by using our ‘contact us’ form
- Otherwise, use the live support feature to ask a question
Data Breach Claims Against Companies
The following guides may also be helpful:
- See how to make a mortgage company data breach claim
- Find out about loan company data breach claims
- Learn whether you can sue a company for a data breach
External Resources:
- ICO statistics on data security incident trends
- Government information on data protection
- NHS guidance on stress
We are grateful that you have read our guide about customer service UK GDPR data breach compensation claims.
