Aggregate complaints data: 2023 H1

This page provides an overview of financial services firms' complaints reported to us during 2023 H1 (1 January to 30 June 2023), including the latest trends and analysis split by product group.

By analysing this data, we evaluate the firms' treatment of their customers and track changes in their performance over time. We also use this information to support our supervision of firms and markets, and to identify any potential concerns related to specific financial products.

Download the aggregate complaints data (XLSX)

Key Findings

  • In 2023 H1, financial services firms received 1.88m opened complaints, an increase of 5% from 2022 H2 (1.80m) (figure 1).
     
  • The product groups that experienced an increase in their opened complaint numbers from 2022 H2 to 2023 H1 were the following: decumulation & pensions (20%), investments (18%), insurance & pure protection (6%), & banking and credit cards (3%).
     
  • The home finance product group saw a 10% reduction in opened complaints from 101,333 (2022 H2) to 91,469 (2023 H1).
     
  • Since 2016 H2, current accounts have remained the most complained about product. The number of current accounts opened complaints increased, from 500,371 in 2022 H2 to 509,923 in 2023 H1 (2%).
     
  • Noticeable increases in opened complaints can be seen in the following products: motor & transport from 238,009 in 2022 H2 to 278,034 in 2023 H1 (17%), credit cards from 188,200 in 2022 H2 to 201,925 in 2023 H1 (7%), property from 86,150 in 2022 H2 to 92,091 in 2023 H1 (7%), & savings (including ISAs) from 69,373 in 2022 H2 to 85,315 in 2023 H1 (23%).
     
  • The percentage of complaints upheld increased from 60% in 2022 H2 to 61% in 2023 H1. Excluding 2022 H2, the percentage of upheld complaints has been steadily rising since 2019 H2.
     
  • Redress payments went up by 4% from £228m in 2022 H2 to £236m in 2023 H1, but this is 22% below the 2022 H1 figure of £304m. This year-over-year decline is largely due to a 75% decrease in the redress paid for payment protection insurance complaints, decreasing from £32m in 2022 H1 to £8m in 2023 H1.
     
  • Home finance products have the highest figure for opened complaints per 1,000 products sold of 6.8 in both 2022 H2 & 2023 H1 (figure 2).

In 2022, we revised the product group context figure calculation methodology to reduce errors in firm reporting. Be careful when comparing data with previous years.

 

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Table 1.1 – All complaints closed

  2021 H2 2022 H1 2022 H2 2023 H1
Total complaints closed 1.91m 1.91m 1.76m 1.90m
Of which:        
Complaints closed within 3 days 49% 51% 47% 46%
Complaints closed > 3 days but within 8 weeks 45% 44% 48% 47%
Complaints closed > 8 weeks 6% 5% 6% 8%

Source: FCA complaints data

Table 1.2 – All complaints closed by product group

  Banking & credit cards Decumulation & pensions Home finance Insurance & pure protection Investments
  2022 H2 2023 H1 2022 H2 2023 H1 2022 H2 2023 H1 2022 H2 2023 H1 2022 H2 2023 H1
Total complaints closed 823,706 852,140 72,407 83,258 96,771 95,311 719,250 810,258 48,161 55,517
Of which:                    
Closed within 3 days 52% 52% 26% 23% 30% 32% 46% 44% 28% 25%
Closed > 3 days < 8 weeks 45% 43% 59% 56% 60% 54% 47% 48% 62% 64%
Closed > 8 weeks 4% 5% 14% 21% 10% 14% 7% 8% 10% 12%

Source: FCA complaints data

Table 2.1 – Complaints upheld, and redress paid

    2021 H2 2022 H1 2022 H2 2023 H1
Total complaints closed 1.90m 1.91m 1.76m 1.90m
of which:        
Upheld 1.12m 1.17m 1.06m 1.15m
% Upheld 59% 61% 60% 61%
Total redress paid £294.8m £304.4m £228.1m £236.3m
Redress paid for upheld complaints £253.4m £268.6m £198.5m £210.7m
Redress paid for complaints not upheld £41.4m £35.8m £29.6m £25.6m
Average redress upheld £226 £230 £187 £183

Source: FCA complaints data

Table 2.2 – Complaints upheld, and redress paid by product group

  Banking and credit cards Decumulation & pensions Home finance Insurance & pure protection Investments
  2022 H2 2023 H1 2022 H2 2023 H1 2022 H2 2023 H1 2022 H2 2023 H1 2022 H2 2023 H1
Closed value 823,706 852,140 72,407 83,258 96,771 95,311 719,332 810,258 48,161 55,517
of which:                    
Upheld 483,227 504,436 46,162 54,209 57,509 55,223 447,030 506,281 25,954 30,815
% Upheld 59% 59% 64% 65% 59% 58% 62% 62% 54% 56%
Total redress paid £104.8m £110.1m £28.9m £28.0m £14.3m £14.4m £64.6m £62.2m £15.5m £21.6m
Redress paid upheld complaints £88.4m £96.4m £25.8m £25.1m £13.0m £12.9m £57.8m £56.4m £13.6m £19.9m
Redress paid complaints not upheld £16.4m £13.7m £31.3m £2.8m £1.3m £1.5m £6.8m £5.8m £1.9m £1.7m
Average redress upheld £183 £191 £558 £464 £226 £234 £129 £111 £522 £645

Source: FCA complaints data

Aggregate complaints data sortable tables: 2023 H1

 

Product

Product Group

2023 H1

2023 H2

2024 H1

Annuities (including enhanced and impaired)

Decumulation & pensions

8,711

8,501

8,987

Assistance

Insurance & pure protection

27,518

26,632

18,125

Credit cards

Banking and credit cards

201,925

232,757

222,529

Crowdfunding / Peer to Peer

Investments

457

300

289

Current accounts

Banking and credit cards

509,923

515,639

492,557

Decumulation packaged multi products

Decumulation & pensions

0

2

0

Discretionary management services

Investments

1,175

2,162

1,404

Drawdown and UFPLS

Decumulation & pensions

6,326

7,008

9,037

Endowments

Investments

3,484

3,164

3,046

Equity release

Home finance

2,085

1,929

2,201

ETPs

Investments

204

327

303

FX/CFD/Spreadbetting

Investments

1,190

1,302

1,153

General insurance packaged multi products

Insurance & pure protection

19,726

19,336

14,864

Impaired credit

Home finance

581

714

633

Income protection and other accident, sickness and unemployment

Insurance & pure protection

3,724

3,728

4,100

Investment bonds

Investments

11,051

11,275

10,949

Investment packaged multi products

Investments

80

75

73

Investment trusts

Investments

815

1,344

508

ISAs (where investment held)

Investments

19,868

21,170

22,737

Medical/health

Insurance & pure protection

85,316

80,293

95,886

Motor & transport

Insurance & pure protection

276,994

281,148

276,469

Non-discretionary management services

Investments

974

727

903

Non-workplace personal pensions (e.g. SIPPs, SHPs, PPPs)

Decumulation & pensions

47,537

45,996

50,831

Other banking - Please provide details below

Banking and credit cards

28,159

73,398

22,084

Other decumulation

Decumulation & pensions

77

51

29

Other general insurance

Insurance & pure protection

150,740

118,981

118,527

Other investment products/funds

Investments

7,790

7,090

7,522

Other pensions

Decumulation & pensions

367

339

286

Other pure protection

Insurance & pure protection

602

381

466

Other regulated home finance products

Home finance

70,136

70,393

70,614

Other unregulated home finance products

Home finance

16,718

19,147

16,759

Overdrafts

Banking and credit cards

9,387

15,232

15,317

Packaged accounts

Banking and credit cards

12,788

13,461

15,080

Payment protection insurance

Insurance & pure protection

3,287

2,009

879

Pensions packaged multi products

Decumulation & pensions

19

26

22

Pet

Insurance & pure protection

27,847

26,984

27,888

Platforms

Investments

7,524

7,845

9,102

Property

Insurance & pure protection

92,659

91,893

100,234

Protection packaged multi products

Insurance & pure protection

887

509

553

Savings (including ISAs)

Banking and credit cards

85,315

91,177

83,380

Second and subsequent charge

Home finance

1,991

2,698

3,025

Structured products

Investments

163

107

131

Third way products (e.g. investment linked, variable, fixed term)

Decumulation & pensions

94

91

75

Travel

Insurance & pure protection

32,589

34,669

28,049

Trust based pensions (e.g. Occupational and DB)

Decumulation & pensions

8,494

7,122

7,414

UCITS

Investments

219

188

187

Unit trusts/OEICs

Investments

4,419

4,437

4,496

Warranty

Insurance & pure protection

49,885

43,704

53,577

Whole of life/term assurance/critical illness

Insurance & pure protection

27,094

23,672

24,672

Workplace personal pensions (e.g. SIPPs, SHPs, PPPs)

Decumulation & pensions

16,477

17,749

16,341

Complaints, contextualised by number of products.

Product

Product Group

2023 H1

2023 H2

2024 H1

Annuities (including enhanced and impaired)

Decumulation & pensions

1.2

1.1

1.2

Assistance

Insurance & pure protection

3.5

2.7

1.9

Credit cards

Banking and credit cards

3.6

3.9

3.8

Crowdfunding / Peer to Peer

Investments

0.8

0.6

1.8

Current accounts

Banking and credit cards

4.3

4.2

3.9

Discretionary management services

Investments

1

2.2

0.6

Drawdown and UFPLS

Decumulation & pensions

5.7

6.1

7.3

Endowments

Investments

1.4

1.3

1.4

Equity release

Home finance

5.9

6.7

8.6

ETPs

Investments

0

1.1

0.8

FX/CFD/Spreadbetting

Investments

0.1

0

0.1

General insurance packaged multi products

Insurance & pure protection

1.5

1.5

1

Impaired credit

Home finance

4.3

7.9

6.6

Income protection and other accident, sickness and unemployment

Insurance & pure protection

0.3

0.3

0.9

Investment bonds

Investments

4.3

4.7

5

Investment packaged multi products

Investments

2.9

2.3

2.2

Investment trusts

Investments

5.1

12.7

0.5

ISAs (where investment held)

Investments

1.8

1.7

1.8

Medical/health

Insurance & pure protection

8.8

8.3

9.9

Motor & transport

Insurance & pure protection

3.7

3.9

3.8

Non-discretionary management services

Investments

0.1

0.1

0.1

Non-workplace personal pensions (e.g. SIPPs, SHPs, PPPs)

Decumulation & pensions

3.2

2.7

3.7

Other banking - Please provide details below

Banking and credit cards

2.4

1.8

3.7

Other general insurance

Insurance & pure protection

2.1

1.4

1.7

Other investment products/funds

Investments

0.6

0.5

0.2

Other pensions

Decumulation & pensions

0.6

0.6

0.5

Other pure protection

Insurance & pure protection

0.3

0.4

0.1

Other regulated home finance products

Home finance

7

7

7.1

Other unregulated home finance products

Home finance

6

7.8

7

Overdrafts

Banking and credit cards

0.2

0.3

0.3

Packaged accounts

Banking and credit cards

1.7

1.8

2

Payment protection insurance

Insurance & pure protection

0.2

0.1

0.1

Pensions packaged multi products

Decumulation & pensions

1,166.70

Pet

Insurance & pure protection

5.6

4.8

5.1

Platforms

Investments

2

1.3

0.2

Property

Insurance & pure protection

2.2

2.1

2.3

Protection packaged multi products

Insurance & pure protection

0.5

1

1.1

Savings (including ISAs)

Banking and credit cards

0.7

0.7

0.6

Second and subsequent charge

Home finance

12.8

28.1

27

Structured products

Investments

4.6

0.6

4.3

Third way products (e.g. investment linked, variable, fixed term)

Decumulation & pensions

2.1

2.5

1.6

Travel

Insurance & pure protection

0.8

0.8

0.8

Trust based pensions (e.g. Occupational and DB)

Decumulation & pensions

0.7

0.6

0.7

UCITS

Investments

0.7

0.6

8.8

Unit trusts/OEICs

Investments

0.9

0.9

1.6

Warranty

Insurance & pure protection

2.5

2.4

2.8

Whole of life/term assurance/critical illness

Insurance & pure protection

0.9

0.7

0.8

Workplace personal pensions (e.g. SIPPs, SHPs, PPPs)

Decumulation & pensions

1

1

0.9

Context data

Please see about our complaints data section for information about context data.

Disclaimer 

The figures reported within this data are accurate at the time of publication. However, they can be subject to change depending on firm submissions.

Copyright

The data on this page is available under the terms of the Open Government Licence.