Complaint Response Timelines in the UK

Financial firms regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) must follow strict complaint handling rules under DISP (Dispute Resolution: Complaints) in the FCA Handbook:

• Acknowledgement: Promptly — typically within a few working days
• Holding response: Within 8 weeks if the complaint cannot be resolved sooner, updating the customer on progress
• Final response: Within 8 weeks of receiving the complaint

For certain payment-related complaints (e.g., disputed transactions under the Payment Services Regulations 2017), there are shorter 15-business-day deadlines, with a maximum of 35 business days in exceptional circumstances.

Once a final response is received, you have 6 months to refer to the Financial Ombudsman Service. After 8 weeks with no final response, you can refer immediately.

Ofgem's Standard Licence Conditions require energy suppliers to:

• Acknowledge complaints within 2 working days
• Resolve or issue a deadlock letter within 8 weeks

After 8 weeks without resolution, or upon receiving a deadlock letter, you can refer to the Energy Ombudsman. There is no explicit deadline for referring to the Energy Ombudsman after a deadlock letter, but acting promptly is advisable.

For billing complaints specifically, Ofgem has a "back-billing" rule: suppliers cannot bill you for gas or electricity used more than 12 months ago if the delay in billing was their fault. This is a significant consumer protection worth checking if you receive an unexpectedly large retrospective bill.

Ofcom's General Conditions of Entitlement require telecoms providers to:

• Have a clearly published complaints process
• Belong to an approved ADR scheme
• Allow customers to refer to the ADR scheme after 8 weeks of an unresolved complaint, or upon a deadlock letter

There is no Ofcom-mandated acknowledgement timeline, but most providers aim to acknowledge within a few working days. Ofcom does not prescribe a final response deadline, but 8 weeks is the trigger for ADR referral.

Under the NHS Complaints Regulations 2009 (as amended by the 2013 Regulations), NHS organisations must:

• Acknowledge formal complaints within 3 working days
• Agree a response timescale with the complainant
• Aim to respond fully within 6 months where possible

For local councils in England, there is no single legal deadline, but the LGSCO expects councils to respond to Stage 1 complaints within 15–20 working days and Stage 2 complaints within 20–25 working days.

There is no universal time limit for referring a complaint to the LGSCO or PHSO after completing the internal process, but both ombudsmen expect referrals to be made within a reasonable period — typically within 12 months of the final decision.

One of the most common complaint mistakes is missing the deadline to refer to an ombudsman — sometimes by just a few days. This section provides a sector-by-sector reference for the key time limits and explains what to do if you have missed one.

Sector-by-sector time limit reference:

• Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS): Refer within 6 months of the firm's final response letter. The FOS also applies a "longstop" of 6 years from the event, or 3 years from when you knew (or ought to have known) about the problem, whichever is later. Both limits must be satisfied.
• Energy Ombudsman: Refer after 8 weeks of unresolved complaint, or immediately on receipt of a deadlock letter. No specific outer time limit published, but referring promptly is advisable. The Ombudsman has discretion on late referrals.
• Ombudsman Services: Communications / CISAS (telecoms): Refer after 8 weeks, or on receipt of a deadlock letter. Refer within 9 months of the complaint first being raised with the provider.
• Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO): Refer within 12 months of becoming aware of the matter. PHSO has discretion to accept late referrals in exceptional circumstances. Must refer via your MP.
• Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO): Refer within 12 months of when you first knew about the problem. The LGSCO has discretion to accept later referrals.
• Legal Ombudsman: Refer within 1 year of the firm's final response, and within 6 years of the act/omission (or 3 years from when you ought to have known about it).
• Property Ombudsman (TPO) / Property Redress Scheme: Refer within 12 months of the agent's final response.
• Rail Ombudsman: Refer within 12 months of the event, and after the operator's internal process is exhausted.

What to do if you have missed a deadline: Contact the relevant ombudsman immediately and explain why you are applying late. Include evidence of the reason for the delay — for example, serious illness, bereavement, or the fact that you were unaware of your right to refer. Most ombudsmen have discretion to accept late referrals in genuine cases of hardship or where there is a good reason for delay. Do not assume a late referral will be rejected without asking. If the ombudsman declines to accept a late referral, seek legal advice about whether a civil claim through the courts remains viable — limitation periods in contract law are typically six years, which may give you a longer window than the ombudsman's own rules.

Recording the date your complaint was first raised: All ombudsman time limits run from specific trigger dates — the date of the final response letter, the date you first raised the complaint, or the date you became aware of the problem. Keep a file note of every complaint you raise, with the exact date. Screenshot or save all communications with dates visible. This contemporaneous record is your best evidence if a time limit dispute arises.