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To make a Financial Ombudsman complaint, complain to the financial business first, check that your case is eligible, then explain the unresolved dispute through the official free complaint route. Include the business's final response if available and the evidence supporting the outcome you want.
The Financial Ombudsman Service can consider eligible disputes involving financial businesses, including banks, insurers and lenders. That does not mean every problem involving money, a purchase or a pension belongs there. Check the type of business and complaint against the service's current scope.
Use the official free Financial Ombudsman complaint form
The service identifies its official online complaint form as the easiest way to start a new complaint. You can complain directly for free. Send Letters Online is not the form, the ombudsman or a claims-management company, and buying a postal service is not required.
For the official form link alongside postal guidance, see our Financial Ombudsman complaint form and postal guide. If an online form is unsuitable, use the alternatives described on the service's official website and ask it about any support or accessibility needs.
Complain to the bank, insurer or lender before escalating
Give the business a clear account of the problem, the relevant account or policy reference, the key dates and the remedy you want. Ask for a complaint reference and keep the acknowledgement. An unresolved customer-service conversation is not necessarily recorded as the formal complaint you intended.
Most complaints allow the business eight weeks to respond. Some payment-related complaints have shorter response periods. An unsatisfactory final response can allow earlier referral. Check the current official guidance for your complaint type instead of applying one deadline to every case.
Our formal complaint template is for the first-stage letter. The bank letter guide and insurance correspondence guide can help with identifying the original recipient. For pension issues, check whether the relevant matter belongs with the Financial Ombudsman or another specialist route.
Check the final-response deadline carefully
You normally have six months from the business's final response to refer the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. Other time limits and exceptions can apply, including rules relating to when the event happened or when you became aware of it. Read the final response and current official guidance promptly.
If the response period has expired and the business has not issued a final response, explain that in your submission and provide evidence of when you complained. Do not create your own final response. Our deadlock and final-response guide explains the distinction.
Prepare a concise evidence pack
- The business's correct name, your complaint reference and relevant account, claim or policy details.
- A dated timeline of the events and your attempts to resolve the matter.
- The final response, if received, and an accurate summary of any proposed remedy.
- Relevant statements, contract or policy terms, transaction records and correspondence.
- The specific loss or effect you describe and the evidence supporting it.
Explain what happened in your own words. If you dispute a payment, identify the date and amount. If you challenge an insurance decision, identify the claim and the reason given. Distinguish established facts, your recollection and points on which you want clarification.
Keep originals and provide relevant copies. Follow the service's security instructions for sensitive information. Do not include passwords, account-access codes or unrelated financial history. Unverified AI-generated legal arguments, invented cases or exaggerated loss figures can make a complaint harder to assess.
Financial Ombudsman covering-letter example
A covering letter can summarise documents sent by post or additional evidence requested by the service. It is not a substitute for providing the information required in the official complaint process. If a case already exists, use its reference.
[Your name and contact details] [Date] Re: Complaint about [financial business], reference [reference] [Financial Ombudsman case reference, if already assigned] I ask you to consider my unresolved complaint about [specific issue]. I first complained to the business on [date]. Its final response is dated [date], or [explain that the applicable response period has passed without a final response]. The main events are [brief dated chronology]. The business says [accurate summary of its position]. I remain dissatisfied because [specific unresolved points]. The impact on me has been [documented facts]. I ask you to consider [specific remedy and supporting reasons]. I enclose copies of [relevant documents]. Please confirm the next steps and any further information required. Yours faithfully, [Your name]
Use our ombudsman complaint letter template to organise your wording, then adapt it to the financial dispute. A covering letter does not extend a deadline or guarantee that a complaint falls within the service's jurisdiction.
Keep track of submission, evidence requests and outcomes
Retain the submission acknowledgement and case number. Reply to evidence requests within the deadlines given and tell the service if your circumstances change. If sending by post, confirm the current postal address directly with the official service and allow sufficient time for delivery.
Proof of posting and a case acknowledgement serve different purposes. A postal record is not confirmation that the complaint has been accepted. Contact the official service if a deadline is close or you are uncertain about receipt, rather than assuming a posted letter has completed every step.
Optional printing and postage, not a charge for complaining
Complaining directly to the Financial Ombudsman Service is free and does not require a solicitor or paid representative. If you choose a physical covering letter, Send Letters Online can print and post it from the UK from £2.99, with the final quote shown before payment. We do not assess the merits of your claim, give legal advice or promise compensation.
