My Southern train was 20 minutes late. Can I claim?

Yes. Southern says you can claim if you arrive 15 minutes or more late because of a delay or cancellation to a Southern service. At 15 to 29 minutes you get at least 25% of the single fare paid, or on a return at least 25% of the fare paid for the affected portion, and you must apply within 28 days.

My return ticket was delayed by two hours. How much do I get back?

For a day ticket, a delay of 120 minutes or more pays 100% of the fare paid, whether it was a single or a return. For an open return you can only make one 120 minute claim, even if the travel is on different days.

Can I claim for the people I travelled with on one Southern form?

Each traveller must submit their own claim, unless it is for a child or there are mitigating circumstances. Southern's online form lets you submit up to 3 claims in one go, as long as each is for a different ticket or journey.

How much does Southern pay?

A percentage of your single fare: 25% from 15 minutes, 50% from 30 minutes, 100% from 60 minutes. On a return, the single fare is treated as half what you paid, except at 120 minutes or more, when a return ticket gets the whole return fare back.

How long do I have to claim from Southern?

28 days from the date you travelled. After that they are within their rights to refuse, though it is still worth asking if you have a good reason.

Delay Repay · Southern

Southern Delay Repay: rates, claim form and time limit

Southern pays Delay Repay when you arrive 15 minutes or more late: at least 25% of a single fare at 15 to 29 minutes, and 100% of the fare paid at 120 minutes or more, single or return. Claim within 28 days of the journey.

Checked against Southern's own page on 8 October 2026

Go to the Southern claim form

Pays from

15 min

Deadline

28 days

Automatic?

Detected, you confirm

What Southern pays

Every tier is a percentage of the single fare for the delayed direction. If you bought a return, the single fare is half what you paid, which is how every UK operator calculates it. The one exception is two hours or more: on a return ticket, Southern pays back the whole return fare, not half of it. On a single, the top rate is the whole single fare.

15 to 29 minutes late25%
30 to 59 minutes late50%
60 to 119 minutes late100%
120 minutes or more lateOn a single, the whole single fareWhole return

What Southern's own page says

What are you entitled to?

15-29 minutes you're entitled to at least 25% of the single fare paid, or if you bought a return ticket at least 25% of the fare paid for the affected portion
30-59 minutes you're entitled to at least 50% of the single fare paid, or for a return ticket at least 50% of the fare paid for the affected portion
60-119 minutes you're entitled to 100% of the single fare paid, or for a return ticket at least 50% of the fare paid
120+ minutes you're entitled to 100% of the cost of the fare paid whether it was for a single or return ticket
120+ minutes you're entitled to 100% of the cost of a return journey (a full day’s travel)
You need to apply for compensation online or by post within 28 days of your delayed journey. We'll respond to your claim within 20 working days, however unless there has been a period of disruption you should hear back from us within 5 days.
For day tickets, a delay of 120 minutes gives you the full price of the ticket back - Delay Repay is capped at no more than the full ticket cost. This would mean for open return tickets you can only claim 120 minute delay once even though the travel may be on different days.

Copied word for word from Southern's own Delay Repay page on 8 October 2026. Open the source

Will they claim for you?

Partly, and the wording matters. The scheme covers key smartcard only, but all ticket types held on it.

Shares the Govia Thameslink claims system with Thameslink, Great Northern and Gatwick Express.

Across the network only c2c pays with no action at all. Everywhere else, "automatic" means the operator fills the form in and waits for you to press the button.

How to claim from Southern

Open the Southern claim form
Have your booking reference from the confirmation email to hand
Give the date, the departure and arrival stations, and the scheduled time
Say how late you arrived, not how late you departed. The scheme scores arrival
Attach a photo of the ticket or your e-ticket screenshot
Submit within 28 days of travelling
Expect a response within about 20 working days
If it is refused and you think that is wrong, the Rail Ombudsman is free

Claim from Southern

Common questions

My Southern train was 20 minutes late. Can I claim?: Yes. Southern says you can claim if you arrive 15 minutes or more late because of a delay or cancellation to a Southern service. At 15 to 29 minutes you get at least 25% of the single fare paid, or on a return at least 25% of the fare paid for the affected portion, and you must apply within 28 days.
My return ticket was delayed by two hours. How much do I get back?: For a day ticket, a delay of 120 minutes or more pays 100% of the fare paid, whether it was a single or a return. For an open return you can only make one 120 minute claim, even if the travel is on different days.
Can I claim for the people I travelled with on one Southern form?: Each traveller must submit their own claim, unless it is for a child or there are mitigating circumstances. Southern's online form lets you submit up to 3 claims in one go, as long as each is for a different ticket or journey.
How much does Southern pay?: A percentage of your single fare: 25% from 15 minutes, 50% from 30 minutes, 100% from 60 minutes. On a return, the single fare is treated as half what you paid, except at 120 minutes or more, when a return ticket gets the whole return fare back.
How long do I have to claim from Southern?: 28 days from the date you travelled. After that they are within their rights to refuse, though it is still worth asking if you have a good reason.

The hard part is remembering

Only 45% of passengers with an eligible delay ever claim, and the most common reason is not that people think it is complicated. It is that 28 days pass. Untap watches your journeys and tells you while there is still time. Free, and we never take a share of what you get back.

Price a Southern journey Or see how the watching works

Other operators

See every operator and how Delay Repay works

Thresholds, tiers and deadlines are taken from Southern's own published Delay Repay terms, checked on 8 October 2026. Operators change these from time to time, so the claim form is always the final word. Untap helps people in the UK find money they are already owed. We do not file claims and we do not take a share of any refund.