An ombudsman is an independent body that settles disputes
between consumers and companies — for free — when you cannot
resolve a complaint directly. Instead of going to court, you take your
complaint to the ombudsman that covers your sector, and it decides what should
happen. This page explains how ombudsman schemes work and, crucially,
which ombudsman covers which type of complaint, so you go to
the right one.

How ombudsman schemes work

Ombudsman schemes share the same basic shape, whatever the sector:

  • They are free for consumers — you never need a
    claims-management company.
  • You must complain to the company first. The company usually
    has up to 8 weeks to give you a final response (a
    “deadlock” letter), after which you can escalate.
  • The ombudsman investigates impartially and can tell the
    company to apologise, fix the problem, or pay compensation.
  • In most schemes the decision is binding on the company if
    you accept it, but you keep the right to go to court if you reject it.

In some sectors — financial services, energy, communications, property
agents and legal services — companies are
required by law to belong to an ombudsman or redress scheme.
In others, membership is voluntary, so check the trader is a member before you
rely on it.

Which ombudsman covers my complaint?

Money and financial services

The
Financial Ombudsman Service covers
banks, building societies, insurers, lenders, credit cards, mortgages,
pensions and investments. See our full
Financial Ombudsman walkthrough.

Energy (gas and electricity)

The
Energy Ombudsman
handles complaints about domestic gas and electricity suppliers and network
operators, once you have a deadlock letter or 8 weeks have passed.

Broadband, phone and TV

Telecoms and broadband providers must belong to one of two approved schemes
—
Communications Ombudsman
or
CISAS. Check your provider’s complaints page to see which one it uses.

Housing

The
Housing Ombudsman
deals with complaints about social landlords (councils and housing
associations). Complaints about councils acting as a public authority go to
the
Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. For disrepair in a rented home, see our
housing disrepair guide.

Estate agents and letting agents

Property agents must belong to a government-approved redress scheme —
The Property Ombudsman
or the
Property Redress Scheme.

Solicitors and legal services

The
Legal Ombudsman
covers poor service from solicitors, barristers and other legal providers.

Other sectors

How to use an ombudsman

  1. Complain to the company in writing and keep copies — our
    letter templates help.
  2. Wait for a final response, or until 8 weeks have passed.
  3. Refer your complaint to the correct ombudsman above, within its time limit
    (for financial complaints this is 6 months from the final
    response).
  4. Send a clear timeline and copies of your evidence.

What if no ombudsman covers my complaint?

Not every trader belongs to a scheme, and some sectors have none. If there is
no ombudsman for your dispute, or the trader is not a member of a voluntary
one, your route is the
small claims court. You can
also report unfair trading to
Trading Standards via Citizens Advice, which does not resolve your individual case but can act against rogue
traders.

Sources

Last reviewed: September 2026. Scheme membership and time limits change
— confirm the right scheme on the company’s own complaints page.
Next step: write to the company using our
complaint letter templates,
then escalate to the ombudsman above.