The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) is the free, independent body that settles disputes between consumers and financial businesses in the UK, including insurers, brokers and claims firms. It exists because complaining to the firm alone does not always work.
What it can do
The Ombudsman reviews complaints about how a firm handled a matter: a declined claim, a poor sale, a delay, a valuation dispute. If it finds the firm was at fault, it can order the firm to put things right, including paying compensation. Its decisions are binding on the firm, though you can reject the outcome and go to court instead.
How to use it
- First complain to the firm and get its final response, or wait eight weeks.
- Apply to the Ombudsman, normally within six months of the final response.
- Submit your evidence. The service is designed to be used without a lawyer.
How the Ombudsman’s data helps you
The Ombudsman publishes the outcomes of the cases it sees, and those patterns tell you what fair looks like in practice. Our claims and complaints data coverage draws on this. When a claim is rejected, our guide to complaining about an insurer is the place to start.