Complaining to a bank or lender: time limits and the Financial Ombudsman
Published · 3 min read · Figures checked . UK rules and rates change, so check the official sources below before you act.
If you are unhappy with a bank, lender or payment firm, there is a set route: complain to the firm first, then the free Financial Ombudsman Service. This guide explains the time limits and award limits.
The two steps
The first step is to complain to the financial business itself. The Financial Ombudsman Service says you should explain what went wrong and say how you would like it put right. Keeping a record of calls, emails and letters can help.
The business then investigates and should send you a final response. That response should explain the outcome and how to take the complaint further if you remain unhappy.
The second step is to bring the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. You can do this if you are unhappy with the final response, or if the business has not replied within its time limit.
How long each side has
- Most complaints: the business has up to 8 weeks to send a final response.
- Complaints about fraud and scams, payment services (such as bank transfers or direct debits) and electronic money (such as online money transfers or travel money cards): 15 days.
- After a final response: you have 6 months from the date on that response to refer the complaint to the Ombudsman. Calendar months are used, so a response dated 7 May gives until 7 November.
- Complaints usually need to be raised within 6 years of the problem happening, or within 3 years of when you became aware, or should reasonably have become aware, that you had cause to complain.
If you miss a deadline
A late complaint can still be looked at in some cases. The Ombudsman lists exceptional circumstances that stopped you complaining on time, such as serious ill health or bereavement. A late referral can also go ahead if the business agrees to it, and a business cannot change its mind once it has agreed. A final response that does not set out the 6 month right to refer is not treated as valid, so the deadline may not apply.
What the Ombudsman can award
The Ombudsman can ask a business to put things right. There is a limit on the money it can award. The limit is set for each referral date and depends on when the problem happened.
The Ombudsman can recommend that a business pays more than the limit if it thinks that is fair, but the business does not have to accept that recommendation.
Where interest is added to an award, the Ombudsman says that from 1 January 2026 it typically asks businesses to use a time-weighted average of the Bank of England base rate plus one percentage point. Before 1 January 2026 it typically asked for 8% simple interest a year.
Cost and help
The Ombudsman says its service is free and easy to use, and you do not need to pay a lawyer or a claims management company to represent you.
Check before you act
Time limits and award limits change, and a firm's final response will set out your own deadline. It is worth confirming the details on the official pages linked below before relying on any date or figure here.
Sources
For information only. See our disclaimer and editorial standards. Spotted an error? Tell us.
