When insurance works well, it often goes unnoticed. When it doesn’t, knowing there is a fair and independent process in place matters. This is where the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) plays a vital role in building trust across the UK insurance industry.
The Financial Ombudsman Service is an independent public body set up to resolve disputes between customers and financial services firms, including insurers. It exists to protect consumers and small businesses, hold firms accountable, and encourage higher standards across the industry. Importantly, it looks beyond policy wording alone, focusing on what is fair and reasonable in each individual case.
Complaint data in 2025
Each year, the FOS publishes decision data that provides insight into how complaints are handled in practice. Looking at three major UK commercial insurers in 2025 (Aviva, AXA, and Allianz) might help illustrate how this process works.
In 2025, 485 decisions relating to Aviva Insurance Limited were assessed by the FOS, with 158 complaints upheld. AXA saw 237 decisions made, of which 136 were upheld. Allianz Insurance Plc had a lower volume, with 41 decisions assessed and 12 upheld.
While headline numbers can seem striking, they don’t tell the full story. A higher number of complaints often reflects scale, complexity of risks, and breadth of customer base rather than poor practice. What matters more is that there is a transparent mechanism to review decisions when expectations and outcomes don’t align.
FOS decision reports clearly outline what happened, the decision reached, and the justification behind it. This transparency helps customers understand outcomes and helps insurers and brokers learn where communication, clarity, or documentation could be improved.
Why you should care?
Ultimately, trust in insurance isn’t about complaints never arising. It’s about knowing that if something does go wrong, there is an independent body ensuring fairness. That reassurance is fundamental to confidence in the system and to creating a truly risk-free tomorrow.
At Sense Risk, we look at insurance differently. We want to equip the people we serve with the knowledge and resources to make informed decisions. This includes making them aware of the available routes to take when things do go wrong. At the heart of everything, insurance is about people. There is yet to be a magical solution to eliminate risk, but what we can offer is a team of humans who are willing to inform and collaborate to find the right solution for you.
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