What we need to know
When you fill in our complaint form, we will ask you about:
- When it happened.
You usually need to complain to us within 12 months of when you first became aware of the problem. If it’s been longer, we may still be able to help. We’ll ask you to explain the delay.
- How if affected you.
We need to understand how the issue affected you or the person you’re complaining for.
- What you would like done to put things right.
We can recommend that organisations apologise, explain what went wrong, change how they do things, or make a payment. We’ll ask what outcome you’re hoping for and let you know if we think we can achieve it.
- If you’re planning or have taken legal action.
In some cases, legal action might be a better option for your complaint. For example, if you want a large financial payment. We’ll ask whether you’ve already been to court or are considering legal action, as it may affect whether we can investigate.
- If you’re complaining for someone else.
If you’re complaining for someone else, we’ll need to check they’ve agreed to this.
We’ll also ask you for a copy of the organisation's final response to your complaint.
Using AI tools to help write your complaint
We know some people find artificial intelligence (AI) tools helpful for writing, but it's important your complaint is in your own words.
We have suggestions and prompts if you're using AI to help write your complaint.