Financial Ombudsman Service receives over 305,000 complaints in 2024/25

Altogether in the last financial year (1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025), consumers lodged 305,726 complaints about financial products with us. The last time we received more complaints was during the PPI issue in 2018/19 (388,392).

We saw significant rises across most of the main product complaint areas – with some issues and products at their highest ever recorded level. This includes complaints about motor finance commission, fraud and scams, and credit cards.

Our Annual Report and Accounts, also published today, highlights how this significant increase in demand – driven in large part by concerns around motor finance and unaffordable lending – is adding substantial pressure to the current redress system.

It is one of the key reasons we are working closely with HM Treasury (HMT) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to modernise the dispute resolution system – and our role within it – to ensure consumers can continue to access a quick and high-quality alternative to the courts.

High demand can impact the speed with which we can handle complaints. We are tackling this challenge by recruiting additional case workers, modernising its structure and transforming digital services.

James Dipple-Johnstone, Interim Chief Ombudsman, said:

Financial services have evolved significantly since we were set up 25 years ago. New financial products, the digitalisation of services and an increase in fraud and scams mean that we now see high levels of demand and an increasing number of complex cases. 
That is why we are working closely with HMT Treasury and the FCA to ensure the system – including the vital role our service plays within it – is fit for the future.

The 2024/25 caseload is a 54% increase when compared to the 198,798 complaints we received from consumers in the previous year.

Around half of these complaints were brought by professional representatives. That’s compared to the 25% brought by professional representatives during the 2023/24 financial year. This growth has mainly been focused on credit affordability and car finance complaints. 

Some of these individual complaint categories have risen significantly across all sectors when compared to the previous year. 

In 2024/25, we upheld 34% of complaints in the consumers’ favour, compared to 37% in 2023/24. Around 27% of complaints brought by professional representatives were upheld. Around 37% of cases brought directly by consumers were upheld.

Our finite resources were also spent handling thousands of withdrawn and abandoned cases, mainly from professional representatives. We recently introduced charges for professional representatives who bring more than ten complaints a year. The move aims to bring better balance to the organisation’s fee model and to encourage representatives to submit better-evidenced complaints, considering their merits more diligently before referring them.  

The decision to charge professional representatives forms part of our wider transformation as we continue to modernise our structure, strengthen core operations, improve responsiveness and transform our digital services.

We will also maintain the £60m worth of annual reductions (excluding inflation) in case fees and annual levies into 2025/26 – frozen for a second year to keep costs lower for industry.

Overall, in 2024/25, we resolved 227,253 complaints – an 18% increase on 2023/24 – while also reducing our stock of older cases.

Jenny Simmonds, Interim Chief Executive, said:

Although we resolved thousands of cases last year, we know there’s more to do which is why we are driving forward ambitious plans to transform our service.   
We are modernising our ways of working, investing in new tools and technologies, and building flexibility into our workforce. 
This modernisation programme, alongside reform to the wider dispute resolution system, will create a trusted and effective financial ombudsman, which in turn enables predictability and the confidence to support a strong economy.

Notes to editors

View our annual complaints data and insight 2024/25.

View our Annual Report and Accounts.

A breakdown of the most complained about products we received is below.

About the data 

• The Annual Report and Accounts shows we received a total of 305,918 complaints, of which 192 were about claims management companies (CMCs) while the remainder (305,726) were about products. The latter figure is referenced in our annual complaints data. 
• The Annual Report and Accounts also shows that we resolved 227,445 complaints in 2024/25, of which 192 were about claims management complaints, while the remainder (227,253) were about products. 
• In 2024/25, around 27% of complaints brought by professional representatives were upheld compared to 31% in 2023/24. In 2023/24, around 37% of cases brought directly by consumers were upheld compared to 38% in 2023/24.