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Case fees

To keep our service free for consumers, we’re funded by a combination of levies and case fees which are paid by businesses.

Last updated: 12 April 2023

On this page

  1. When we do and don’t charge
  2. When you have to pay the case fee
  3. Group charging
  4. When we review our case fees

Each year we consult publicly on our proposed plans and funding arrangements for the financial year ahead.

The consultation includes the volume of complaints we expect to receive and resolve, and the amount we plan to raise through our levy and case fees. You can read more about this in our latest plans and budget.

When we do and don’t charge

You won’t need to pay a case fee for the first 3 complaints against your business that we deal with in each financial year. From the 4th complaint onwards, we charge a case fee of £750.

If a case does need to be investigated, it becomes a chargeable case, regardless of the outcome.

Most businesses have very few cases referred to us, meaning that most businesses don’t pay any case fees. For businesses that do pay case fees, the cost involved is likely to be much less than the legal costs of defending the case in court.

When you have to pay the case fee

The fee is only payable once the complaint is resolved. Our finance team will send the firm an invoice the following month when we close the case.

Group charging

We run a group-charging account for the largest financial business groups. Case fees are paid quarterly in advance based on expected numbers of complaints. This lowers administrative costs, increases efficiency and creates a steadier cash-flow.

If the numbers turn out to be significantly different, there may be some adjustment at the end of the year.

When we review our case fees

We review our case fee arrangements each year – and consult our stakeholders about any changes we think might be necessary. Each year we consult publicly on our proposed budget for the financial year ahead.  This includes consultation on the amount we plan to raise through the levy, as well as on the proposed level of our case fee.