UK Treasury unveils largest financial services overhaul in decades. The reforms are expected to diminish the powers of the Financial Ombudsman Service. Photo Mark Goddard 19 Mar 2026, 11:24 am The UK government's plans to reform the role of the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) will require careful implementation and pose potential transitional risks, an expert has warned. Anthony Harrison, a financial services expert at Pinsent Masons and former financial ombudsman, was commenting after the UK government announced a major package of reforms to the FOS. HM Treasury said the reforms would mark the biggest overhaul in the financial services watchdog's 25-year history and were designed to address growing concerns that the ombudsman was acting as a 'quasi-regulator' that was "creating uncertainty for consumers and businesses that was holding back investment." The announcement follows the government's response to a public consultation held last year that sought industry views on the FOS' role and ways it could deliver a simpler, impartial dispute resolution service. It proposed recalibrating the ombudsman's remit, including an adapted 'fair and reasonable' test, and formalising the interaction between the FOS and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to reduce regulatory inconsistencies and uncertainty for businesses. The government has confirmed it will legislate to introduce these and a number of other significant changes to the FOS' role. These include reforming the legislative framework that governs the FOS to strengthen consistency in its decision-making and enhance regulatory alignment with the FCA. The FOS will also be subject to a new 10-year time limit for consumers to complain, while the FCA will be empowered to "make exceptions to this time limit." Harrison said the reforms were "broadly positive" and crucially would introduce "greater predictability into an arena where firms have long struggled with uncertainty." He said greater alignment between the FCA and the FOS would be a welcome development for the financial services sector more broadly. "One of the core tensions in the current system is the perception that the ombudsman can edge into setting de facto regulatory standards through individual decisions," he said. "The proposals - including the clarification that FOS should apply only the rules and standards in force at the time, not wider 'good industry practice', and the introduction of a referral mechanism allowing FOS to pause and hand cases with broader regulatory questions across to the FCA - go some way to addressing that concern." The government plans to introduce a referral mechanism between the FOS and the FCA that would require the ombudsman to seek the FCA's views on cases. This move is aimed at streamlining case handling and ensuring decisions are taken at the right level in the organisation following public outcry over the ombudsman's handling of mass consumer redress events. Raam Hargun of Pinsent Masons said the reforms would give firms greater clarity and predictability in how complaints will be assessed. "The new referral mechanism between the FOS and the FCA should also reduce inconsistent or quasi-regulatory decisions, which have historically created uncertainty for firms," he said. "This should support the industry by preventing inconsistent precedent-setting in mass complaint situations, which has previously fuelled significant litigation and large-scale remediation exercises." The FCA and FOS have launched a joint consultation - C926/9: Modernising the redress system - to finalise proposals to modernise the redress framework ahead of legislation being presented to parliament. In the meantime, Harrison said the proposed changes would carry 'transitional' risks for the industry while it waits for the reforms to become law. "If not implemented carefully, a new registration stage and expanded dismissal grounds could unintentionally raise access barriers for vulnerable consumers or create bottlenecks," he said. "The safeguards built into CP26/9 are clearly designed to avoid that, but the system will need close monitoring as it beds in." However, Harrison warned that firms should not become complacent. "The reforms go hand-in-hand with a more structured, earlier-intervention model for identifying systemic issues, tighter cooperation between FCA and FOS, and clearer routes for pausing and sequencing cases. That all increases the onus on firms to spot and fix redress issues early, and to notify the FCA promptly." These proposals come amidst the government's continued efforts to ease the regulatory burden on the UK's financial services sector to stimulate growth and boost consumer protection.

FSCL welcomes new Board member, Kate Tokeley. Financial Ombudsman Service, Financial Services Complaints Limited (FSCL) has appointed Kate Tokeley to its Board as a consumer director. Ms Tokeley is a former Associate Professor of Law at Victoria University of Wellington, where she taught and researched consumer law. She is the co-editor and co-author of Consumer Law in New Zealand (LexisNexis), and is widely published locally and internationally on consumer law and policy. FSCL Chair, Jane Meares, says Ms Tokeley brings extensive expertise in consumer rights. "Kate has a wealth of knowledge of consumer law, an obvious passion for consumer rights, and governance experience - including her roles as Deputy Chair of Consumer NZ and on the board of the Telecommunications Dispute Resolution scheme, which has strong parallels with FSCL," says Ms Meares. "She is well-positioned to support our mission of providing free, fair, independent dispute resolution for consumers and their financial service providers." "Kate is keenly aware of the ongoing challenges of raising public awareness of consumer dispute resolution services. She brings a great mix of astute judgement and teamwork, making her a valuable addition to our Board," adds Ms Meares. Ms Tokeley says she is committed to supporting FSCL's fair, effective, and independent dispute resolution. "I look forward to working with the other board directors to ensure the scheme is accessible and trusted by consumers." FSCL's Board is made up of two consumer directors, two industry directors, and an Independent Chair, Ms Meares. Ms Meares also acknowledged the contribution of outgoing Board member Mary Holm, who served on the FSCL Board for nine years. "Mary has been a valued member of our Board and will be greatly missed. She was unwavering in her commitment to championing consumer rights and enhancing the financial literacy of the NZ public. Above all, Mary cares deeply about people and communities, and her insights - drawn from her work as a financial journalist and commentator - have been invaluable to our work," says Ms Meares. Read more about its Board of Directors

FOS: reforming redress. The Financial Ombudsman Service is working with HM Treasury and the FCA to modernise redress, bringing greater clarity, fairness and confidence to consumers and businesses. James Dipple-Johnstone explains how. The Financial Ombudsman Service has been vital in maintaining confidence in financial services since Chartered Insurance Institute Group began its work 25 years ago. Set up as a quick and informal alternative to the courts, consumers and businesses have benefitted greatly from its dispute resolution service. There have been significant changes in the financial services landscape since Chartered Insurance Institute Group started. New and increasingly complex financial products, a growth in fraud and scams, and regulatory changes like the Consumer Duty have emerged, while the system has been challenged by mass redress events and the rise of professional representatives. For all these reasons, it's a good time to review and modernise the redress system, to improve certainty and confidence for both consumers and businesses, including in insurance. That is why Chartered Insurance Institute Group is working with HM Treasury (HMT) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to transform the dispute resolution system and the role Chartered Insurance Institute Group play within it. A consultation paper from HMT and a joint Financial Ombudsman Service-FCA paper both closed on 8 October and Chartered Insurance Institute Group is now considering the responses. A key focus of the proposals is to deliver and demonstrate greater alignment between the FCA and the Financial Ombudsman to ensure that businesses - including the CII's members and the wider insurance profession - can be confident about what's expected of them. Part of this includes a proposal to allow the Financial Ombudsman - and either the business or consumer involved in a complaint - to ask the FCA for clarification on its rules when either party believes there is ambiguity about what they mean in practice. This goes to the heart of providing clearer alignment between the Financial Ombudsman and the FCA on how Chartered Insurance Institute Group interpret FCA regulation. Mass redress events will be identified, mitigated and managed through a new process overseen by the FCA with input from Chartered Insurance Institute Group and firms. This should mean that they are fewer in number and those that occur will be resolved more quickly and efficiently. To help tackle incomplete cases or those outside of its jurisdiction, Chartered Insurance Institute Group is planning to bring in a new registration stage in its process. This will mean complaints will only be registered - and chargeable for businesses - once key criteria are met, and only complete and eligible complaints will progress through its systems. Chartered Insurance Institute Group has also proposed that Chartered Insurance Institute Group produce quarterly reports on how particular types of cases are investigated, to highlight patterns in consumer harm, clarify its approach to specific complaint types, and guide businesses on best practices and regulatory expectations. This could help CII members understand the impact of its work in a much more digestible form. To provide greater certainty to businesses, HMT has proposed to introduce a 10-year absolute time limit for consumers to bring complaints. Limited exceptions could apply for long-term products, such as pensions or mortgages - and Chartered Insurance Institute Group will work with the FCA on what exceptions are appropriate. Modernising redress While these consultations were ongoing, Chartered Insurance Institute Group has already taken steps to modernise many elements of its systems and operations. In April, Chartered Insurance Institute Group became the first UK ombudsman to introduce charges for professional representatives to bring cases. And in July, after consultation, Chartered Insurance Institute Group announced that Chartered Insurance Institute Group would be changing the typical interest rate Chartered Insurance Institute Group apply to awards to better reflect market conditions, moving from 8% to the Bank of England's base rate plus one percentage point. Chartered Insurance Institute Group is also considering further changes to its case fee structure. Currently, all firms pay the same fee once Chartered Insurance Institute Group has started to investigate a case, but Chartered Insurance Institute Group has sought views on whether this should be differentiated according to the stage a case reaches to better reflect its costs. Taken together, the proposals add up to a significant programme of modernisation for the redress system. Many CII members have been in touch with Chartered Insurance Institute Group, broadly welcoming the changes. The Government and other partners continue to recognise the importance of the Financial Ombudsman's work and its remit, and Chartered Insurance Institute Group want the reforms to leave Chartered Insurance Institute Group better able to deliver a quick and informal alternative to the courts. By working closely with its partners in government, regulation, consumer groups and in the sector, Chartered Insurance Institute Group will ensure the Financial Ombudsman Service continues to serve the interests of the insurance profession, other businesses, consumers and the broader economy for many years to come.