Complaining to an ombudsman

Summary

You can complain to an ombudsman if you’ve already complained to the organisation and couldn’t solve your problem through their complaints procedure. An ombudsman will also investigate your complaint if the organisation takes too long to resolve your complaint - this is usually 8 weeks, but check with the scheme you’re using. Some ombudsman schemes won’t investigate old complaints, so you’ll also need to check their cut off point. An ombudsman will not investigate your case if you have already started court action. Check the ombudsman's website to see how to make a complaint - most of them have an online form. Tell the ombudsman if you need extra support making a complaint - for example help filling out forms or making the complaint in a language that isn’t English. You might need to send copies of any paperwork related to your complaint, so it's a good idea to have it ready. There are two types of ombudsman. Some cover the private sector - they handle financial and consumer complaints. Some cover the public sector - they mainly look into complaints about government organisations and public services. Most ombudsman schemes are members of the Ombudsman Association. You can complain.

Key information

• the Energy Ombudsman helps with complaints about gas and electricity companies - read our advice about how to complain to the energy ombudsman
• the Communications Ombudsman helps with complaints about phone and internet providers
• the Motor Ombudsman helps with complaints about vehicle sales, service or repairs
• the Rail Ombudsman handles complaints about train companies
• the Financial Ombudsman Service sorts out problems with banks, insurance, PPI, loans, mortgages, pensions and deals with other money and financial complaints - read our advice about getting your money back if you paid by card or PayPal
• the Property Ombudsman and the Property Redress Scheme resolve disputes between consumers and property agents
• the New Homes Ombudsman helps customers fix problems with their new-build homes
• the Furniture and Home Improvement Ombudsman can sort out problems with furniture and other retail purchases and home improvements
• the Pensions Ombudsman investigates complaints about pension schemes and decisions made by the Pension Protection Fund and the Financial Assistance Scheme - they can’t handle complaints about the State Pension
• the Legal Ombudsman can help resolve legal service disputes
• the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman investigates complaints about government departments and some other public bodies - they can also look into complaints about NHS hospitals or community health services
• the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman investigates complaints about local councils, care homes and some other organisations providing local public services

Practical guidance

• Source: Complaining to an ombudsman

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