How to Complain About Your Insurer UK: Step by Step FOS Guide

Step one: complain to your insurer

Every FCA-authorised insurer must have a complaints procedure and must tell you how to use it. Your complaint can be made in writing, by email, by phone or in person, but putting it in writing creates a clear record. Set out what went wrong, the impact on you, and what outcome you want, whether that is a claim paid, a fee refunded or an apology.

Include policy numbers, claim references, dates and copies of relevant documents. Keep your originals. A focused, factual complaint that pinpoints the specific failing, for example an unreasonably delayed claim decision or an unfairly applied exclusion, is easier for the firm to assess and harder to dismiss.

Address the complaint to the insurer's complaints team, the contact details for which are usually in your policy documents or on the firm's website. If a broker or intermediary sold the policy, you may need to complain to whichever party is responsible for the issue.

The DISP timetable and your insurer's duties

FCA rules in the DISP sourcebook govern timescales. The firm must acknowledge your complaint promptly and investigate competently and diligently. It then has a maximum of eight weeks from the day it receives the complaint to send a final response or a response explaining why it cannot yet resolve matters.

For many complaints the firm can issue a summary resolution communication quickly if it resolves the issue to your satisfaction within three business days. Otherwise you should receive a substantive final response. That final response must tell you the firm's decision, its reasons, and your right to take the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service, including the six-month time limit.

If the eight weeks expire without a final response, you do not have to keep waiting. You gain the right to refer the complaint to the Ombudsman regardless, because the firm has failed to meet the deadline.

Step two: referring to the Financial Ombudsman Service

The Financial Ombudsman Service is an independent, statutory dispute-resolution body. It is free for consumers to use. You can refer your complaint once you have the insurer's final response, or once eight weeks have passed without one.

There are time limits. You normally have six months from the date of the final response to bring the complaint to the Ombudsman, and the final response should state this. There is also a longer-stop rule: generally you must complain within six years of the event, or three years from when you reasonably became aware you had cause to complain, whichever is later.

You refer the complaint using the Ombudsman's online form, by phone or by post, attaching your final response letter and supporting evidence. The service is designed to be used without a lawyer or paid representative.

How the Ombudsman investigates

An investigator first reviews the case and may try to reach an informal resolution acceptable to both sides. The investigator gathers evidence from you and the firm and forms a view on what is, in their words, fair and reasonable in all the circumstances, taking account of law, regulators' rules, guidance and good industry practice.

If either party disagrees with the investigator's assessment, the case can be passed to an Ombudsman for a final decision. The Ombudsman's decision is the last stage of the process. If you accept a final decision, it becomes binding on the firm and can be enforced through the courts if necessary.

The Ombudsman can direct a range of remedies: paying or reassessing a claim, refunding premiums or fees, paying interest, correcting records, and awarding compensation for distress and inconvenience up to the binding award limit that applies to your case.

Building a strong case

Evidence wins complaints. Keep a timeline of events, copies of all correspondence, call dates and the names of staff you spoke to. If your complaint concerns a declined claim, focus on the policy wording, any exclusion the insurer relied on, and whether it was applied fairly given what you disclosed.

Where the issue is a delay or poor service, quantify the impact: missed deadlines, extra costs you incurred, or distress caused. The Ombudsman can award compensation for distress and inconvenience, so a clear account of the practical effect on you matters.

Be precise about the outcome you want and stay factual. Avoid sending a large undifferentiated bundle of paperwork; instead highlight the documents that prove your point. If new evidence emerges during the Ombudsman's review, send it promptly.

Frequently asked questions

How long does my insurer have to respond?

Under the FCA's DISP rules the firm has a maximum of eight weeks from receiving your complaint to issue a final response. If it resolves the matter within three business days it may instead send a summary resolution communication.

Does it cost anything to use the Financial Ombudsman Service?

No. The service is free for consumers. Firms pay a case fee, but you are not charged for referring or pursuing a complaint, and you do not need a paid representative.

How long do I have to go to the Ombudsman?

Normally six months from the date of the insurer's final response. Wider limits also apply: generally within six years of the event, or three years from when you reasonably became aware of the problem, whichever is later.

Is the Ombudsman's decision binding?

A final decision is binding on the firm if you accept it, and it can be enforced through the courts. If you reject it, you remain free to pursue the matter elsewhere, such as in court, subject to the usual rules.

What can the Ombudsman order my insurer to do?

It can require the firm to pay or reassess a claim, refund fees or premiums, pay interest, correct records and pay compensation for distress and inconvenience, up to the binding award limit that applies to your complaint.