Most people only discover ombudsman schemes at the moment they need one: a bank, an energy supplier, a broadband company or a landlord has given a final answer that is not good enough, and someone says “take it to the ombudsman”. The idea is simple. The practice trips people up, because there are many schemes, each with its own rules about who can complain, about what, and when. This page sets out which scheme handles which kind of complaint, the process they all share, and how to put a case together so it is dealt with properly. It links to our detailed guides on the individual schemes.
What an ombudsman is, and what it is not
An ombudsman is an independent body that looks at unresolved complaints between consumers and the businesses in its sector, decides whether the business has treated the customer fairly, and can direct a remedy. It is free for the consumer to use. It is not a court, it is not a regulator, and it is not there to punish the business; it is there to put things right where they have gone wrong. You do not need a solicitor or any other representative to use one, and no scheme will treat your complaint differently because it was prepared professionally. What a well prepared complaint does is make sure the ombudsman sees your case clearly, in order, with the evidence attached, from the first page.
The rule every scheme shares: complain to the business first
No ombudsman will look at a complaint the business has not been given a fair chance to answer. Across almost every UK scheme the pattern is the same:
- You complain to the business in writing. A dated, factual complaint that says what went wrong, what you want, and by when.
- The business investigates and responds. In most regulated sectors it has a fixed period to do so, commonly eight weeks, after which you may go to the ombudsman whether or not it has answered.
- A final response letter (sometimes called a deadlock letter) is the business saying it has finished. Once you have it, or the time limit has passed, the ombudsman route is open.
- You refer the complaint to the ombudsman, usually within six months of the final response, though time limits vary by scheme.
Everything downstream depends on step one being done well. A vague or angry first complaint produces a vague final response, and the ombudsman then has to reconstruct what the dispute was actually about. A clear one narrows the argument before it starts. If you have not yet made the first complaint, our guide on how to write a complaint letter to a company covers the structure.
Which ombudsman handles what
Banks, lenders, insurers, credit cards, pensions, investments, and finance sold with a purchase: the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). The largest scheme by some distance, covering almost any complaint against a firm regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, including finance arranged by a retailer or installer and Section 75 credit card claims. Time limit: normally six months from the final response. See our guides on writing a Financial Ombudsman complaint letter, how to escalate a complaint to the Financial Ombudsman and the best way to escalate.
Gas and electricity suppliers, and some heat networks: the Energy Ombudsman. Billing, switching, meter disputes, back billing, customer service. The supplier gets eight weeks, or must issue a deadlock letter sooner. See our Energy Ombudsman complaint process guide.
Broadband, phone, mobile and pay TV: the Communications Ombudsman, or CISAS. Every communications provider must belong to one of the two schemes; which one depends on the provider, and its final response letter should tell you. See how to write a letter to the Communications Ombudsman.
Water and sewerage companies: the Consumer Council for Water first, then the Water Redress Scheme. Water works slightly differently; the Consumer Council for Water reviews the complaint before the independent redress stage. See how to write a letter to the Water Ombudsman.
Social landlords and some private landlords: the Housing Ombudsman. Repairs, anti social behaviour handling, complaint handling itself. Members are mostly housing associations and councils; private landlords are covered only if they have joined voluntarily.
Estate and letting agents: the Property Ombudsman, or the Property Redress Scheme. Every agent must belong to one of them; the agent’s own complaints procedure comes first.
Solicitors, barristers, licensed conveyancers and other legal professionals: the Legal Ombudsman. Poor service, delay, costs disputes. The firm’s own complaints procedure comes first, and the time limits here are strict.
Car dealers, garages, warranty and finance providers who have signed up: the Motor Ombudsman. Membership is voluntary, so check the business is a member before relying on it.
Government departments and the NHS in England: the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. Complaints about central government must be referred by an MP; NHS complaints can be made directly once the local complaints process is complete.
Councils and adult social care: the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
Furniture, home improvement, retail and other sectors: check the trade body. Many retailers belong to an approved alternative dispute resolution scheme through their trade association; the business’s terms or final response letter should name it.
If none of these fits, the business is not a member of any scheme, or the sum is significant and the business has simply refused, the remaining route is the county court small claims track. That is a different process, but it starts the same way: with a proper letter setting out the claim.
What a strong ombudsman referral contains
Ombudsman caseworkers handle large volumes. The complaints that are resolved quickly are the ones that are easy to follow. In practice that means:
- A one page summary of who you are, who the business is, what happened, and what you want.
- A chronological timeline with dates: purchase or agreement, what went wrong, each contact with the business, and its responses.
- The first complaint and the final response, attached, so the caseworker can see the dispute as it was put and answered.
- The evidence, organised: agreement, statements, bills, photographs, screenshots, call notes, each labelled and referred to from the timeline.
- A clear statement of the remedy sought: refund of a stated amount, a repair, a correction, compensation for a described loss, or an apology and a change of process.
- A calm tone throughout. The strongest complaints read like a report, not an argument.
Where the business holds information you need, a subject access request before the referral can put its own records on the table; our guide to subject access requests explains how.
What Equisure Direct does
We prepare ombudsman complaints and the correspondence that leads up to them: the first complaint to the business, the request for a final response where one has not been issued, the subject access request, and the referral pack itself, with the timeline written and the evidence organised. Every document is prepared individually for your case, quoted in writing before we start, and delivered within the timescale we agree. We are a document preparation service, not a law firm; we do not give legal advice, we do not represent you at the ombudsman, and we cannot promise how a scheme will decide. What we can do is make sure that when your case reaches a caseworker, it is the one that is easy to say yes to. See our ombudsman complaint letter service.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to wait the full eight weeks? No, if the business issues a final response sooner you can go to the ombudsman then. And if the business has not answered at all after the time limit, you can refer the complaint anyway.
Is there a time limit for going to the ombudsman? Usually, and it varies. Six months from the final response is common (the Financial Ombudsman, for example), but some schemes are shorter and some events have their own longstop dates. Check the scheme’s own rules, and do not sit on a final response letter.
Can I complain to more than one scheme? Each scheme covers its own sector, so a single complaint normally belongs to one of them. Where a purchase involves finance, the finance side may go to the Financial Ombudsman while the goods side goes elsewhere; the two can run in parallel.
Will using a document service change how the ombudsman treats my complaint? No. Ombudsman schemes are free and treat every complaint on its merits. A well prepared referral is simply easier for a caseworker to follow.
What if the ombudsman decides against me? Ombudsman decisions are usually binding on the business but not on you; if you reject the decision your legal rights are unaffected, though the practical options may be limited to court.
If you are at the final response stage, or past it, and want the referral prepared properly, get in touch and we will look at what you have.
Related services
Explore our letter writing service by area, or learn more about complaint letter writing, dispute correspondence, and Subject Access Requests.