Find out how to make a complaint about the regulators and how we investigate complaints.
A regulator cannot consider complaints about the firms it regulates. If you have a complaint about a firm, you should first raise it with the firm. If you are unhappy with the outcome, you may be able to make a complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service[1].
What is 'a complaint about the regulators'?
This is explained in the Complaints Scheme[2].
If your complaint was made to us before 31 October 2023 please refer to the Complaints Scheme (March 2016)[3].
The Complaints Scheme also says what types of complaint we won’t investigate. Some examples of these are:
- Complaints about our rules or guidance.
- Complaints about firms we regulate.
- Complaints about the actions or inactions of the Financial Ombudsman Service, the Financial Services Compensation Scheme or MoneyHelper.
It is possible to make complaints to different organisations simultaneously. For example you can make a complaint to us and the Financial Ombudsman about the same thing at the same time.
There is no need to allow one complaint to be concluded before you start another. However, the complaint about us must be about how we have carried out, or failed to carry out, our ‘relevant functions’ as defined in the Complaints Scheme.
We recommend that you make your complaint to us as soon as you are aware of the problem.
How to complain
There are several ways you can contact us if you want to make a complaint. You can:
- Complete an online complaints form[4].
- Download a printable form[5] (PDF) or send a letter to us at: Complaints Department (Risk & Compliance Oversight Division), Financial Conduct Authority, 12 Endeavour Square, London, E20 1JN.
If you are unable to complain in writing, you can call the Complaints Team’s voicemail service on 020 7066 9870. We'll aim to return your call within 2 working days of receiving it. Please note we cannot answer general enquiries on this line.
If you want to contact us about something that is not a complaint about the FCA or the other regulators, you can contact our consumer helpline on 0800 111 6768 or visit our contact us[6] page.
Please use one of these methods to contact us in the first instance even if your complaint is against the PRA or the Bank of England.
We want to make sure you can make a complaint and communicate with us effectively. If you need information in a different format, such as an audio recording, large print, or spoken rather than written communication, please let us know when you raise your complaint or call the complaints voicemail service on 020 7066 9870 and we'll do our best to help. With your consent, we can also talk to your representative, such as a relative, friend or community advocate about your complaint. If you have contacted us before about a complaint or problem, please have your case reference number ready to give us.
You can find out more about how we provide support[7] so you can communicate with us effectively.
We know that the problems leading to a complaint can be frustrating or distressing. But please be polite to our people, as we don’t allow abusive behaviour towards them. Abuse may affect how we can communicate with you about your complaint. Find out more[8].
For complaints relating to how we have handled your personal data. You can:
- Complete an online complaints form[9].
- Download a printable form (PDF)[10] or send a letter to us at: Data Protection Compliance Team (Risk & Compliance Oversight Division), Financial Conduct Authority, 12 Endeavour Square, London E20 1JN.
For complaints relating to how we have responded to an Individual Rights Request or Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, please contact our Information Disclosure Team.
Dealing with your complaint
Complaints help us learn lessons and improve our performance. We take these matters seriously and aim to resolve complaints quickly and impartially, while treating complainants courteously and sensitively.
We'll acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days. We'll then let you know within 4 weeks if we cannot investigate it and explain why.
If we do investigate your complaint, we may decide it is best handled by our business area that is most closely connected with it. Alternatively, we may decide that our Complaints Team should conduct its own investigation. We'll keep you informed of our investigation throughout.
During your complaint, we welcome information from you about your experience with firms to help us with our oversight of those firms.
If we consider that your complaint is justified we'll apologise and, if appropriate, explain how we intend to fix the problem or prevent it happening again. Depending on the circumstances, we may offer you a goodwill payment to recognise the inconvenience you have suffered.
If you are unhappy with the outcome of your complaint
If your complaint was handled by the business area it related to and you are unhappy with the response, you can refer it to our Complaints Team.
If you are unhappy with Complaints Team’s response, or how your complaint was handled, you can refer your complaint to the Complaints Commissioner[11]. Usually, you should do this within 3 months of the date of our response to your complaint. Our decision letter will give you further information on how to do this, and when you need to do it by.
How we use your data
If you make a complaint by email, telephone or our complaints forms, we'll ask you to give us some personal information about yourself, such as your name and email address. This is mainly to help us respond to your complaint and allow us to identify you if you contact us again. We'll also record any other personal information about you and others that you may give us as part of your complaint.
The Complaints Scheme is used jointly by the FCA, PRA and the Bank of England. To find out more about how and why we use personal information and who to contact if you have any questions, please see our privacy notices: FCA’s privacy notice[12], and the Bank of England’s privacy notice (available on its website).