1
Raise the issue
Contact the service or department responsible and explain what went wrong.
START HERE
Complaints Should Not Be Harder Than the Original Problem
Good records, clear written communication and using the correct route can make a major difference. A service complaint and an appeal against a decision are often different processes, so using the wrong route can waste time or risk a deadline.
THE USUAL COMPLAINT JOURNEY
Know Where You Are in the Process
Different organisations use different names, but most complaint routes follow a recognisable sequence.
2
Formal complaint
Use the written complaint route and get a reference number.
3
Internal review
Ask for escalation or a senior review where the process allows it.
4
Appeal or tribunal
If the issue is the decision itself, use the correct statutory challenge route.
5
External oversight
Use the relevant ombudsman, regulator or specialist examiner when available.
BEFORE YOU COMPLAIN
Make the Problem Easy to Understand
A complaint is stronger when the investigator can quickly see the history, evidence, failure and outcome you want.
Gather evidence
- letters and emails
- decision notices
- reference numbers
- call dates and notes
- payment or account records
- photographs or screenshots
- relevant policies and guidance
State the outcome you want
- correction of records
- written explanation
- fresh decision or review
- apology
- refund or compensation where appropriate
- safeguarding action
- service improvement
CORE COMPLAINT GUIDES
Government, Family, Court and Data Routes
Use the guide that matches the organisation or decision you are dealing with.
DWP DSAR — Data Subject Access Request
Request case notes, decision records, call logs, correspondence and other personal information held by DWP.
Open guideDWP Benefits Complaint Process
Complaints, Mandatory Reconsideration, tribunal appeals, ICE and Ombudsman routes.
Open guideChild Maintenance Service
CMS complaints, reviews, appeals, enforcement disputes, ICE and Parliamentary Ombudsman routes.
Open guideFamily Courts
Court administration complaints, judicial conduct, solicitors, Cafcass and appeal distinctions.
Open guideHMRC Customer Service Complaint
Tax, PAYE, Self Assessment, Child Benefit, Tax Credits and customer-service complaints.
Open guideLegal Services / Solicitors
Complaining to a solicitor, Legal Ombudsman routes and SRA conduct concerns.
Open guide
SERVICE-SPECIFIC GUIDES
Education, Councils, Finance, Utilities and Public Services
These guides cover some of the systems where the complaint route, appeal route and external oversight body can be easy to confuse.
EHCP / SEND — England
School, local authority, SEND, EHCP, tribunal and Ombudsman complaint routes.
Open guideFinancial / Banks / Loans
Complaints to banks, lenders, insurers and the Financial Ombudsman Service.
Open guideLocal Council — England
Council complaints, escalation, Local Government Ombudsman and service-specific routes.
Open guideBroadband & Mobile
Provider complaints, deadlock routes and approved alternative dispute resolution schemes.
Open guidePolice / Misconduct / IOPC
Police complaints, misconduct concerns, reviews and Independent Office for Police Conduct routes.
Open guideEmployment / Workplace Disputes
Internal grievances, Acas Early Conciliation and Employment Tribunal routes.
Open guideNHS / Healthcare
Complaints about GPs, hospitals, treatment, delays, safeguarding and external escalation.
Open guidePrison Complaints — England & Wales
Internal prison complaints, PPO routes, healthcare and legal escalation.
Open guideComplaint About a UK MP
Parliamentary standards, ICGS, criminal conduct and constituency-service distinctions.
Open guide
COMPLAINT OR APPEAL?
Use the Route That Matches the Problem
A complaint usually concerns service failure, delay, conduct, lost evidence or failure to follow process. An appeal or statutory review challenges the decision itself.
A complaint may not protect an appeal deadline
For benefits and some Child Maintenance decisions, GOV.UK says you can ask for a Mandatory Reconsideration when you disagree with the decision. You normally need to do this within one month of the decision, although the exact route depends on the decision notice.
- identify the decision being challenged;
- explain what you think is wrong and why;
- send relevant evidence;
- keep proof of submission;
- check the deadline shown on the decision notice.
Mandatory Reconsideration
Official GOV.UK guidance for asking for a benefits or Child Maintenance decision to be looked at again where the route applies.
Open GOV.UKAppeal a Benefit Decision
Official route for tribunal appeals after the required reconsideration stage, where applicable.
Open GOV.UK
INDEPENDENT OVERSIGHT
Ombudsmen, Regulators and Examiners
Most external bodies expect you to use the organisation's own complaint process first, although the exact requirements differ by scheme.
PHSO
UK government departments and NHS services in England.
Open PHSOLGSCO
Local councils and registered adult social-care providers in England.
Open LGSCOHousing Ombudsman
Social landlords and housing complaint handling within its jurisdiction.
Open Housing OmbudsmanIndependent Case Examiner
Service complaints involving DWP bodies after the relevant internal process.
Open ICEFinancial Ombudsman Service
Eligible complaints about financial businesses after the business has had a chance to respond.
Open FOSInformation Commissioner's Office
Data protection, subject access and information-rights concerns.
Open ICOLegal Ombudsman
Service complaints about solicitors and other regulated legal providers.
Open Legal OmbudsmanIOPC
Police complaint reviews and serious conduct oversight in England and Wales.
Open IOPCPrisons & Probation Ombudsman
Complaints and investigations concerning prisons, probation and immigration detention within its remit.
Open PPOPublic Chain — Who Does What
RFTUK guide to finding the correct public body, regulator, representative or escalation route.
Open guideSupersession Guide
Understanding when an existing decision may be changed because relevant circumstances have changed.
Open guide
STRONG COMPLAINT CHECKLIST
Make It Easy to Investigate
A clear complaint should show what happened, why it matters, the evidence and what you want the organisation to do.
Use “Formal Complaint” where that is what you are making.
Include the correct case or account reference.
List important events in date order.
Separate facts from opinion.
Identify policies or guidance where genuinely relevant.
Explain the personal, practical or financial impact.
List the evidence attached.
State the remedy or outcome requested.
Ask for a complaint reference.
Ask when a response is due.
Keep copies of every submission.
Record calls, dates and names.
RECORDS, DATA & INFORMATION
Get the Records Behind the Problem
A complaint can be much easier to evidence when you have the relevant records, case notes, correspondence or decision information.
DWP Personal Information
Official route for requesting your personal information from DWP.
Open GOV.UKSubject Access Request Guidance
ICO guidance about asking an organisation for your personal information.
Open ICOFreedom of Information
Official guidance for requesting recorded information from public authorities.
Open GOV.UKImportant: a subject access request is for your own personal information. Freedom of Information is for recorded information held by public authorities. They are different rights and may need different routes.
RELATED RFTUK SUPPORT
When the Complaint Is Part of a Bigger Problem
Complaint issues often overlap with mental health, family life, disability, housing, financial pressure and public-service accountability.
Mental Health Help & Support
Information, crisis support and emotional wellbeing guidance.
Open hubFamily Guidance
Family, parenting, separation and child-focused guidance.
Open hubDisability Support
Rights, accessibility, community support and disability information.
Open hubHousing & Homelessness
Housing rights, council support and homelessness guidance.
Open hubFinancial Support
Debt, benefits and practical financial-support information.
Open hubChild Maintenance
CMS calculations, complaints, appeals, evidence and enforcement guidance.
Open hubKey official complaint, appeal and data-access routes checked against current GOV.UK and ICO guidance on 22 September 2026.
RFTUK EXPLANATION
Official Rules and RFTUK Guidance Are Kept Separate
The official links above take you to the relevant public body, ombudsman, regulator or statutory process. RFTUK guides explain routes and practical preparation but do not replace the organisation responsible for the decision or complaint.
Need a guide that is not listed? Use the Right First Time UK contact page to report a missing guide or broken route.
Use the Right Route, Keep the Evidence, Protect the Deadline
Understanding whether you are complaining about service failure or challenging a decision can prevent wasted time and help you reach the body that can actually deal with the problem.
DATA PROTECTION — LAW CHANGE
New Data-Protection Complaint Duty from 23 June 2026
The ICO says new legal requirements now apply to organisations handling personal data.
Clear complaint route
Organisations must provide a clear way for people to raise a data-protection complaint.
30-day acknowledgement
A data-protection complaint must be acknowledged within 30 days, investigated appropriately and the outcome communicated.
Different from subject access
A complaint about how information was handled is different from asking for a copy of your personal information, although the issues can overlap.
Law-change information checked against the ICO on 25 September 2026.