Royal London
Mutual financial services provider. Products & services: Pensions, Investments.
Updated: 3 August 2026
Company Overview
- Industry
- Life insurance, pensions and investments
- Parent company
- None — mutual (member-owned)
- Regulator
- Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 117672) and Prudential Regulation Authority
- Ombudsman
- Financial Ombudsman Service (most products); The Pensions Ombudsman (occupational/workplace scheme administration)
- Customers
- Around 2.4 million customers eligible for ProfitShare in 2026
- Legal entity
- The Royal London Mutual Insurance Society Limited (Companies House no. 00099064)
- 1.58Pensions complaints per 1,000 policies
What customers complain about
Customers most often raise complaints with Royal London about pensions — the largest complaint category by volume — covering decumulation, transfers, administration and service delays; followed by insurance and protection, and a smaller number about investments. In its 1 June–31 December 2025 disclosure Royal London opened 5,817 pension complaints (1.58 per 1,000 policies, 67% upheld), 2,362 insurance/protection complaints (0.64 per 1,000, 51% upheld) and 235 investment complaints (0.35 per 1,000, 71% upheld). You complain first to Royal London's Group Customer Relations team, which acknowledges within 5 working days and aims to resolve within 4 weeks. If unresolved after 8 weeks or you receive a final response, you can escalate — to the Financial Ombudsman Service for most products, or The Pensions Ombudsman for occupational/workplace scheme administration.
Complaint categories
- 1Pensions (highest volume)
Decumulation and pensions is Royal London's largest complaint category — 5,817 complaints opened in the 1 Jun–31 Dec 2025 period, at 1.58 per 1,000 policies, with 67% upheld. Issues typically involve pension administration, transfers, decumulation/drawdown and service delays.
Royal London complaints disclosure, 1 Jun–31 Dec 2025. - 2Insurance and pure protection
The second-largest category — 2,362 complaints opened, 0.64 per 1,000 policies, 51% upheld — covering life cover, critical illness and income protection, including policies from the transferred Aegon protection book.
Royal London complaints disclosure, 1 Jun–31 Dec 2025. - 3Investments
The smallest category by volume — 235 complaints opened, 0.35 per 1,000 policies — but the highest uphold rate at 71%.
Royal London complaints disclosure, 1 Jun–31 Dec 2025.
Latest statistics
- 5,817Pensions complaints opened1 Jun–31 Dec 2025
Figures are Royal London's own complaints disclosure for the reporting period 1 June–31 December 2025, published on its corporate governance complaints page. Rates are complaints per 1,000 policies; uphold rates are Royal London's percentage of closed complaints upheld in the customer's favour.
Contact methods
- Group Customer Relations (phone)0345 050 2020
- Group Customer Relations (email)Customer.relations@royallondon.com
- Group Customer Relations (post)Group Customer Relations, Royal London House, Alderley Park, Congleton Road, Nether Alderley, Macclesfield SK10 4EL.
- Financial Ombudsman Service (escalation — most products)0800 023 4567
- The Pensions Ombudsman (escalation — occupational/workplace scheme administration)0800 917 4487
Complaint journey
- 1
Contact Royal London Customer Relations
Raise your complaint by phone, email, post or online form.
Typical responseImmediate by phoneWhat happens
Contact Royal London's Group Customer Relations team by phone (0345 050 2020 or your policy-specific number), email (Customer.relations@royallondon.com), the online complaint form, or by post to Royal London House, Alderley Park, Macclesfield SK10 4EL. If you phone, they may be able to resolve it straight away. Give your name, address, policy/client reference number and the details of your complaint.
- 2
Written acknowledgement
Royal London logs your complaint and gives you a case reference.
Typical response5 working daysWhat happens
If Royal London can't resolve your complaint immediately, it writes to acknowledge it within 5 working days, allocates a Case Reference number, and tells you the name, phone number and email of the consultant investigating your case. The letter summarises your complaint so you can confirm it is understood correctly.
- 3
Investigation
The assigned consultant investigates and aims to resolve within 4 weeks.
Typical responseTarget 4 weeksWhat happens
Your case is investigated by the named consultant, who aims to complete it within 4 weeks of receipt. If it will take longer, Royal London writes to explain why and how it is progressing.
- 4
week update / final response
By 8 weeks you get a final response or your right to escalate.
Typical responseBy 8 weeksWhat happens
If your complaint is not resolved within 8 weeks, Royal London sends a further update letter. At this point, or once you receive a final response, you have the right to escalate to the relevant ombudsman. The final response sets out the decision, the reasons and any settlement offer.
- 5
Escalate to the Financial Ombudsman Service
Free, independent review for most Royal London products.
Typical responseWithin 6 monthsWhat happens
For personal pensions, protection, investments and sales complaints, you can take an unresolved complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service, free of charge. You normally have 6 months from the date of Royal London's final-response letter to refer it. Phone 0800 023 4567 or email complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.uk.
- 6
Or escalate to The Pensions Ombudsman
The route for occupational/workplace pension scheme administration.
Typical responseWithin 3 years of the eventWhat happens
If your complaint concerns the administration or management of an occupational or workplace pension scheme, it may instead be for The Pensions Ombudsman. For occupational schemes you should first ask for the scheme's Internal Dispute Resolution Procedure (IDRP). You generally have three years from the event (or from when you first knew of it) to complain. Phone 0800 917 4487 or email enquiries@pensions-ombudsman.org.uk.
Response times
Royal London acknowledges a complaint in writing within 5 working days and allocates a Case Reference number and a named consultant. It aims to complete its investigation within 4 weeks, writing to explain any delay. If a complaint is still open at 8 weeks, Royal London sends a further update and you gain the right to escalate. For the 1 Jun–31 Dec 2025 period, Royal London reported that roughly a quarter to a third of complaints were resolved within 3 working days and around 65% were closed between 3 days and 8 weeks, varying by product line.
If your complaint isn’t resolved
If Royal London can’t put things right, you can escalate — free of charge — to an independent body:
Recent news
- 1 June 2026
Royal London reported a record £821m paid in protection claims for 2025 at a 98.4% payout rate, supporting 62,412 customers, families and businesses — its first full year including the transferred Aegon individual protection book.
Read more - 1 March 2026
As a mutual, Royal London announced it would share £199m through ProfitShare in April 2026, with around 2.4 million eligible customers receiving an award; group operating profit rose 18% to £327m for the year to 31 December 2025.
Read more
Know your rights
- FCA DISP (Dispute Resolution) rules
As an FCA-regulated firm, Royal London must handle complaints under the FCA's DISP rules — acknowledging promptly, investigating fairly, and issuing a final response, after which eligible complainants can go to the Financial Ombudsman Service. This is general information, not legal advice.
- Pension Schemes Act / The Pensions Ombudsman's jurisdiction
Complaints about the administration or management of occupational and personal pension schemes fall within The Pensions Ombudsman's remit, generally after the scheme's Internal Dispute Resolution Procedure. This is general information, not legal advice.
- Consumer Rights Act 2015
Where a service element is provided, the Act's requirement that services be carried out with reasonable care and skill can be relevant, though most pension and insurance disputes are resolved through the FCA/ombudsman framework rather than the courts. This is general information, not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Who do I complain to at Royal London?
Royal London's Group Customer Relations team handles complaints. Phone 0345 050 2020 (or your policy-specific number), email Customer.relations@royallondon.com, use the online form, or write to Royal London House, Alderley Park, Congleton Road, Nether Alderley, Macclesfield SK10 4EL.
How long does Royal London take to respond?
It acknowledges your complaint within 5 working days with a Case Reference number, aims to resolve within 4 weeks, and must send a further update by 8 weeks if it is still open — at which point you can escalate to an ombudsman.
Do pension complaints go to the Financial Ombudsman or the Pensions Ombudsman?
It depends. Personal pensions, protection, investments and sales complaints go to the Financial Ombudsman Service. Complaints about the administration or management of an occupational/workplace pension scheme can go to The Pensions Ombudsman, usually after the scheme's Internal Dispute Resolution Procedure.
How long do I have to escalate?
You normally have 6 months from Royal London's final-response letter to go to the Financial Ombudsman Service. The Pensions Ombudsman generally allows three years from the event (or from when you first knew about it).
What is ProfitShare and can I complain about it?
ProfitShare is Royal London's way of sharing profits with eligible members because it is a mutual — around 2.4 million customers were due an award from a £199m pot in April 2026. Questions about eligibility or the amount can be raised with Customer Relations like any other complaint.
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