England and Wales commercial and regulatory procedures
When must a complaint be referred to the Financial Ombudsman?
Six calendar months, subject to notice conditions and applicable exceptions. Refer the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. DISP 2.8.3G requires a qualifying response telling the complainant about the six-month limit. Event and awareness limits can also apply. Waiver, exceptional circumstances and specialist rules require separate review.
- Period
- Six calendar months, subject to notice conditions and applicable exceptions
- Trigger
- Respondent sends a qualifying final response, redress determination or summary resolution communication
- Rule
- FCA Handbook disp2, DISP 2.8.2R to 2.8.3G
FCA Handbook disp2, DISP 2.8.2R to 2.8.3G. The retained source governs refer the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. DISP 2.8.3G requires a qualifying response telling the complainant about the six-month limit. Event and awareness limits can also apply. Waiver, exceptional circumstances and specialist rules require separate review.
Source guide · No automated date
Check the applicable procedure
DISP 2.8.3G requires a qualifying response telling the complainant about the six-month limit. Event and awareness limits can also apply. Waiver, exceptional circumstances and specialist rules require separate review. Use the statutory calendar-month unit and the sending event. Do not replace six months with 180 or 182 days. The actual respondent sends a qualifying final response, redress determination or summary resolution communication and required completion must be established before using a final date.
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When must a complaint be referred to the Financial Ombudsman?
Six calendar months, subject to notice conditions and applicable exceptions. Refer the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. DISP 2.8.3G requires a qualifying response telling the complainant about the six-month limit. Event and awareness limits can also apply. Waiver, exceptional circumstances and specialist rules require separate review.
Responsible actor. Eligible complainant.
Respondent sends a qualifying final response, redress determination or summary resolution communication.
DISP 2.8.3G requires a qualifying response telling the complainant about the six-month limit. Event and awareness limits can also apply. Waiver, exceptional circumstances and specialist rules require separate review.
DISP 2.8.3G requires a qualifying response telling the complainant about the six-month limit. Event and awareness limits can also apply. Waiver, exceptional circumstances and specialist rules require separate review.
FCA Handbook disp2, DISP 2.8.2R to 2.8.3GHow does this provision count time?
- Refer the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
- Use the statutory calendar-month unit and the sending event. Do not replace six months with 180 or 182 days.
- DISP 2.8.3G requires a qualifying response telling the complainant about the six-month limit. Event and awareness limits can also apply. Waiver, exceptional circumstances and specialist rules require separate review.
Use the statutory calendar-month unit and the sending event. Do not replace six months with 180 or 182 days.
Use the statutory calendar-month unit and the sending event. Do not replace six months with 180 or 182 days. DISP 2.8.3G requires a qualifying response telling the complainant about the six-month limit. Event and awareness limits can also apply. Waiver, exceptional circumstances and specialist rules require separate review.
FCA Handbook disp2, DISP 2.8.2R to 2.8.3GWhich facts prevent one automatic date?
DISP 2.8.3G requires a qualifying response telling the complainant about the six-month limit. Event and awareness limits can also apply. Waiver, exceptional circumstances and specialist rules require separate review. Use the statutory calendar-month unit and the sending event. Do not replace six months with 180 or 182 days. The actual respondent sends a qualifying final response, redress determination or summary resolution communication and required completion must be established before using a final date.
The eligible complainant has established the applicable procedure and respondent sends a qualifying final response, redress determination or summary resolution communication. DISP 2.8.3G requires a qualifying response telling the complainant about the six-month limit. Event and awareness limits can also apply. Waiver, exceptional circumstances and specialist rules require separate review. Refer the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. Six calendar months, subject to notice conditions and applicable exceptions. No computed final date is supplied.
A proposed completion raises a nonbusiness-day or time-boundary question for refer the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. Use the statutory calendar-month unit and the sending event. Do not replace six months with 180 or 182 days. Resolve this boundary under the identified provision and actual completion route. Use the statutory calendar-month unit and the sending event. Do not replace six months with 180 or 182 days.
A final response omits the required six-month referral information. DISP 2.8.3G requires a qualifying response telling the complainant about the six-month limit. Event and awareness limits can also apply. Waiver, exceptional circumstances and specialist rules require separate review. DISP 2.8.3G requires a qualifying response telling the complainant about the six-month limit. Event and awareness limits can also apply. Waiver, exceptional circumstances and specialist rules require separate review. No automatic final date follows from this scenario.
Which conditions and exceptions apply?
- Applicable procedure and actual event
- DISP 2.8.3G requires a qualifying response telling the complainant about the six-month limit. Event and awareness limits can also apply. Waiver, exceptional circumstances and specialist rules require separate review.
- Counting and completion boundary
- Use the statutory calendar-month unit and the sending event. Do not replace six months with 180 or 182 days.
- DISP 2.8.3G requires a qualifying response telling the complainant about the six-month limit. Event and awareness limits can also apply. Waiver, exceptional circumstances and specialist rules require separate review.
- Eligible complainant. Respondent sends a qualifying final response, redress determination or summary resolution communication. Refer the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. Use the statutory calendar-month unit and the sending event. Do not replace six months with 180 or 182 days.
What must the responsible actor complete?
Questions about this procedure
When must a complaint be referred to the Financial Ombudsman?
Does any firm letter start six months?
No. DISP 2.8.3G requires a qualifying response and the referral-time-limit information.
FCA Handbook disp2, DISP 2.8.2R to 2.8.3GDoes receipt always start this ordinary clock?
DISP 2.8.2R(1) uses the date the respondent sent the qualifying communication.
FCA Handbook disp2, DISP 2.8.2R to 2.8.3GAre six months equivalent to 182 days?
No. The rule uses calendar months.
FCA Handbook disp2, DISP 2.8.2R to 2.8.3GCan the firm consent to late consideration?
DISP 2.8.2R(5) permits consent subject to its exception, and 2.8.2AR prevents later withdrawal.
FCA Handbook disp2, DISP 2.8.2R to 2.8.3GCan exceptional circumstances matter?
DISP 2.8.2R(3) expressly permits the Ombudsman to consider that question.
FCA Handbook disp2, DISP 2.8.2R to 2.8.3GDoes meeting six months settle every time bar?
No. Event, awareness and specialist time limits also need review.
FCA Handbook disp2, DISP 2.8.2R to 2.8.3GOfficial sources and review
Provisions used (1)
| Provision | Purpose |
|---|---|
| FCA Handbook disp2, DISP 2.8.2R to 2.8.3G | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |