How long does a company have to respond to my complaint?

Short answer

There is no single legal deadline — it depends on the sector. FCA-regulated financial firms must send a final response within 8 weeks; energy suppliers must acknowledge within 2 working days and resolve within 8 weeks. Most other organisations set their own, typically 14–28 days. Miss it and you can usually escalate.

There is no single law setting a universal complaint deadline in the UK. What binds a company depends on which regulator sits behind it — and in the regulated sectors, the deadline matters because it is also the moment you gain the right to go over the company's head.

The deadlines by sector

Financial services. FCA rules (the DISP chapter of the Handbook) require a final response within 8 weeks, with a holding response if the firm cannot resolve it sooner. Disputed card transactions and other payment complaints run faster under the Payment Services Regulations 2017 — 15 business days, extendable to 35 in exceptional cases.
Energy. Ofgem's standard licence conditions require suppliers to acknowledge within 2 working days and resolve the complaint or issue a deadlock letter within 8 weeks.
Telecoms. Ofcom does not set a final-response deadline, but for complaints first raised on or after 8 April 2026 you can take the dispute to an approved ADR scheme once 6 weeks have passed (8 weeks for older complaints).
Councils. No statutory deadline, but the LGSCO expects a Stage 1 response in 15–20 working days and Stage 2 in 20–25 working days.
Everyone else. The organisation's own published complaints procedure sets the deadline. When you complain, set one yourself — 14 days for something simple, 28 days for something complex.

When the clock starts, and what to do if it runs out

The clock runs from the day you first raise the complaint, whether or not you used the words “formal complaint”. If a firm argues that a later, tidier letter restarted it, your dated email or screenshot is the answer. A company can ask for more time, but that does not extend a regulated deadline unless you agree — and agreeing in writing should never mean waiving your right to escalate.

If the deadline passes with no final response, treat it as deadlock: most ombudsmen will accept your referral on the passage of time alone, and the missed deadline is itself evidence of poor complaint handling. You do not have to wait out the full period if a final response arrives sooner. If you are not sure which body covers your complaint, our complaint route finder narrows it down, and Citizens Advice can help you free of charge.

Read the full guide: How to Complain Effectively in the UKCovers eligibility, the process, deadlines, and next steps in depth.

Related guides

How to Complain Effectively in the UK

Making a formal complaint can feel daunting, but a well-structured complaint significantly increases your chances of a satisfactory outcome. In the UK, most businesses and public bodies are required to have a complaints procedure, and following the right process gives you access to independent resolution if things go wrong.

9 min read

Complaint Response Timelines in the UK

Different organisations and sectors have different deadlines for responding to complaints. Knowing the applicable timelines helps you understand when a response is overdue, when you can escalate, and when you are at risk of losing your right to take your complaint to an ombudsman.

5 min read

What Is a Deadlock Letter

A deadlock letter — sometimes called a final response letter — is a formal written notice from a company stating that it has reached the end of its internal complaints process and cannot offer any further resolution. Receiving one is important: it is your trigger to escalate the complaint to an ombudsman without waiting the usual 8 weeks. For financial complaints the Financial Ombudsman Service uses the term "final response": you have 6 months from the date on it to bring your complaint to the FOS.

7 min read

When and How to Escalate a Complaint

If a company has failed to resolve your complaint satisfactorily, or if it has gone beyond the response deadline, you have the right to escalate. Escalation means taking your complaint to an independent body — such as an ombudsman, regulator, or the courts — who can investigate and enforce a resolution.