The Financial Ombudsman Service is free and can bind firms to awards of up to £455,000 (£205,000 for pre-April 2019 acts) — yet the limits, the six-month time rule and the difference between a view and a binding final decision are routinely misunderstood. What the 2026 rules actually say, and how ombudsman redress compares with suing.
Written by John Barwell