Eligibility and deadlines
Check whether the complaint appears to fall within the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction and identify the applicable referral date.
Financial Ombudsman Support
Financial Ombudsman Insurance Complaint Support
We help prepare clear, evidence-led insurance complaints, support you while the Ombudsman investigates, and assess other routes if the complaint is not upheld.
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Independent support
We are not connected with the Ombudsman or your insurer
Before, during and after
Support matched to the stage your complaint has reached
Other routes considered
Negotiation, litigation and specialist barrister options assessed
Support, Not Just Information
The Ombudsman is free to use. The quality of the case still matters.
The Financial Ombudsman Service is free for consumers, and you do not need a lawyer or representative to complain. Many people successfully manage the process themselves. Our support is optional and is designed for cases where the policy, evidence, valuation or legal issues require more careful preparation.
A persuasive complaint should do more than repeat that the insurer’s outcome feels unfair. It should identify the disputed reasoning, connect it to the relevant policy wording and evidence, and explain clearly what fair resolution is being requested.
We assess the apparent strengths and weaknesses at the outset. No representative can guarantee that the Ombudsman will uphold a complaint.
Choose the Right Starting Point
Where has your Ombudsman complaint reached?
The support required before referral is different from the support needed once an investigation or decision is already under way.
Route 01
I am preparing a new Ombudsman complaint
Help reviewing the final response, checking key deadlines, identifying the strongest issues and preparing the policy, evidence, chronology and loss into a focused submission.
Explore complaint preparation Route 02My complaint is ongoing or was not upheld
Help responding to the investigator, correcting factual misunderstandings, presenting further evidence, reviewing an unfavourable outcome and assessing other proportionate routes.
Explore existing complaint supportYou can complain yourself: the Financial Ombudsman Service is free and says you do not need a lawyer or representative. Any paid IDS support is separate, optional and explained before you decide whether to proceed.
Three Stages of Support
Preparation before referral, support during the case and options afterwards
The objective is to make each important decision with the policy, evidence, deadlines and wider strategy in view.
Stage 01
Before the Ombudsman
Review the final response, apparent eligibility and deadlines; identify the strongest issues; organise the evidence; quantify the loss; and prepare a clear submission.
Stage 02
During the investigation
Help answer questions, analyse the insurer’s submissions, correct factual errors, provide further evidence and respond to the investigator’s assessment.
Stage 03
After an unfavourable outcome
Review the reasoning and assess whether negotiation, further evidence, litigation or specialist barrister advice may remain proportionate and available.
Build an Evidence-Led Complaint
Six foundations of a properly prepared case
Every case is different, but these areas often determine whether the complaint is clear, complete and persuasive.
Policy wording
Identify the insuring clause, exclusions, conditions, endorsements and limits relevant to the insurer’s decision.
Issues in dispute
Separate the important coverage, causation, valuation and claims-handling issues from background material.
Evidence and chronology
Organise reports, photographs, correspondence and events so that the complaint can be followed and tested efficiently.
Loss and remedy
Explain what has been lost, how the figure is calculated and what fair resolution is being requested.
Focused responses
Answer the insurer’s reasoning and the investigator’s questions directly, without allowing the central issues to become obscured.
Understand the Process
What the Ombudsman route means for your dispute
The Ombudsman offers an important alternative to court, but eligibility, powers and legal consequences still require careful attention.
Free to consumers
The Ombudsman itself does not charge consumers to refer a complaint, and representation is not required.
Fair and reasonable
The Ombudsman considers the individual circumstances alongside relevant law, regulation, rules, codes and industry practice.
Eligibility is not automatic
Some complainants, businesses, policies, issues or late referrals may fall outside what the Ombudsman can consider.
It is not the court process
An Ombudsman decision and a court claim follow different frameworks, remedies, procedures and time limits.
If the Complaint Is Not Upheld
An unfavourable Ombudsman outcome may not answer every legal question
It does not automatically mean that another viable route exists, but it can be sensible to assess the reasoning before making a final decision.
Review before accepting or rejecting
We examine the investigator’s view or final decision, the evidence addressed, apparent factual misunderstandings and any issues that may not have been determined.
If a final decision has been issued, the consequences of acceptance or rejection should be understood before the response deadline.
Negotiation, litigation and barrister support
Where proportionate, other possibilities may include focused negotiation, further legal analysis or court proceedings.
We can help assess and prepare the case and coordinate access to a specialist barrister for advice or representation where appropriate.
Important: accepting an Ombudsman’s final decision is likely to affect whether further compensation can be pursued in court. Court limitation periods continue to run while the Ombudsman considers a complaint. Independent legal advice may be required before accepting a decision or allowing a limitation date to approach.
Independent service: Insurance Dispute Service is independent of the Financial Ombudsman Service and insurance companies. We cannot guarantee that a complaint will be accepted, investigated or upheld. Information on this page is general; individual eligibility, deadlines and legal options must be assessed from the particular facts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Financial Ombudsman complaint questions
Important starting points before choosing how to prepare or progress the complaint.
Do I need a representative to complain to the Financial Ombudsman?
No. The Financial Ombudsman Service is free for consumers and says that you do not need a lawyer or representative. Professional support is optional and may be useful where the policy, evidence, valuation or legal issues are complex.
When can an insurance complaint usually be referred?
For most insurance complaints, referral may usually be possible after the insurer sends its final response or eight weeks have passed without one. A referral will normally need to be made within six months of the final response. Eligibility and exceptions should be checked individually.
How can you help prepare my complaint?
We can review the final response and policy, identify the central issues, organise the chronology and evidence, examine the loss calculation and help prepare a focused submission explaining the outcome sought.
Can you help if my complaint is already with an investigator?
Potentially. We can review what has already been submitted, help answer questions, examine the insurer’s position, identify factual or evidential gaps and assist with a response to the investigator’s assessment.
What if the Ombudsman does not uphold my complaint?
We can assess the reasoning and whether another proportionate route may remain. That could include negotiation, further legal analysis, litigation or specialist barrister advice, but an alternative remedy is not guaranteed.
Can I go to court after an Ombudsman decision?
If you reject the final decision, legal action may still be possible and the Ombudsman’s involvement ends. If you accept the decision, it is unlikely that you will be able to pursue the business in court for further compensation. Court time limits continue running during the Ombudsman process, so legal advice may be required.