How to Complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service: Step-by-Step 2026
The Financial Ombudsman Service is free to use and resolved the majority of complaints it received in the most recent published year. Here is exactly how the complaint process works, timescales, and what compensation you can realistically expect.
What the Financial Ombudsman Service Does
The Financial Ombudsman Service is an independent, free dispute-resolution body for complaints between UK consumers and financial businesses โ banks, building societies, insurers, investment firms, pension providers, claims management companies, credit brokers and more, provided the business is within the FOS's jurisdiction (most FCA-regulated firms are).
It exists as an alternative to the courts: faster, free, and designed to be accessible without legal representation.
Step-by-Step Complaint Process
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Complain to the business first | Contact your bank/provider directly, in writing if possible, explaining the issue and what resolution you want |
| 2. Wait for a final response, or 8 weeks | The business has up to 8 weeks to issue a "final response" letter; if they don't, or you're unhappy with it, you can go to the FOS |
| 3. Submit your complaint to the FOS | Online form, phone, or post โ explain what happened, when, and what outcome you're seeking |
| 4. Case allocated to an investigator | The FOS gathers evidence from both sides and issues an initial assessment/view |
| 5. Both parties respond | If either side disagrees with the investigator's view, the case can be escalated for a final decision by an ombudsman |
| 6. Final decision issued | This is the FOS's binding-on-the-business determination; you can accept or reject it |
The 8-Week Rule Explained
Financial businesses in the UK are required under FCA rules (DISP โ the Dispute Resolution rules) to issue a final response to a complaint within 8 weeks of receiving it. This final response must tell you:
- Whether the complaint is upheld, partially upheld, or rejected.
- Any redress offered.
- That you have the right to refer the complaint to the FOS if unhappy, and the time limit for doing so (normally 6 months from the date of the final response).
If 8 weeks pass with no final response, you don't have to keep waiting โ you can go straight to the FOS.
Time Limits You Need to Know
| Time limit | What it applies to |
|---|---|
| 8 weeks | Maximum time a business has to issue a final response before you can escalate |
| 6 months | Time limit to refer your complaint to the FOS after receiving a final response |
| 6 years from the event, or 3 years from when you became aware | General long-stop time limits for bringing a complaint to the FOS at all (subject to some exceptions) |
Missing the 6-month window after a final response is one of the most common reasons complaints are rejected as out of time โ diarise it as soon as you receive the letter.
What Kind of Compensation Can You Get?
FOS awards typically cover:
- Direct financial loss โ putting you back in the position you'd have been in but for the error (e.g., refunding an unauthorised transaction, correcting an incorrectly applied fee).
- Interest on money you were wrongly deprived of.
- Distress and inconvenience โ a smaller award reflecting the trouble caused, typically ranging from modest sums for minor inconvenience up to several thousand pounds for cases involving significant, prolonged distress.
- Compensation for financial loss beyond the specific transaction โ e.g., consequential losses caused by a firm's error, where reasonably foreseeable.
The FOS publishes a current maximum award limit on its website, reviewed and typically uprated annually โ always check the current figure rather than relying on older published amounts, as it is index-linked.
What Happens If You Disagree With the Outcome
| Scenario | Your options |
|---|---|
| You disagree with the investigator's initial view | Request escalation to a final decision by an ombudsman |
| You disagree with the final ombudsman decision | You can reject it and pursue the matter in court instead โ but you cannot do both |
| The business disagrees with the final decision | If you've accepted it, the decision is binding on the business regardless of their view |
This asymmetry โ binding on the business once you accept, but never binding on you unless you accept โ is a deliberate consumer protection built into the system.
What the FOS Cannot Do
- It cannot fine or punish a business (that's the FCA's role).
- It cannot deal with complaints about matters outside its jurisdiction (e.g., pure investment performance where no wrongdoing occurred, general commercial disputes unrelated to regulated financial services).
- It generally won't look at a complaint that's already been decided by a court, or where you've started court proceedings on the same matter.
Tips for a Stronger Complaint
- Keep a clear written timeline of events with dates.
- Retain all correspondence, statements, and evidence of loss.
- Be specific about what outcome you want (a refund, correction, compensation amount) โ vague complaints are harder to resolve quickly.
- You don't need a claims management company โ going direct costs nothing extra and you keep 100% of any award, rather than the percentage typically taken by claims firms.
Frequently asked questions
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