Debt Complaints UK 2025/26: Ombudsman Figures Explained

You complained to the debt collector three weeks ago. Nothing back. Not even a “we are looking into it”. So you start to wonder whether anyone, anywhere, actually reads these things.

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Every figure below comes from the Ombudsman’s own published data for 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026. Where we have done our own sums, we say so.

Where debt complaints sit

The Ombudsman is the free, independent body that settles disputes between you and a financial firm after the firm has had a chance to put things right. Here is how the debt-related areas compare with the biggest ones.

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Two things stand out. Debt collection is small. Our sum: 1,897 out of 214,649 total complaints is 0.9%, about 1 in 113. Credit cards have roughly 12 times as many. And guarantor loans have the highest rate of wins at 40%, but with only 94 cases that number can swing a lot, so do not read much into it.

What “upheld” actually means

It means the Ombudsman decided the firm got something wrong, at least in part. It does not always mean money. It can mean a corrected credit file, an apology, a late fee taken off, or a repayment plan the firm should have agreed to in the first place.

It also only counts complaints that reached a decision. In 2025/26, 18% of complaints were withdrawn or abandoned, down from 35% the year before.

The headline hides the biggest story

The Ombudsman says complaints fell almost 30%, from 305,700 to 214,600. That is true. Now look at credit cards.

Card complaints went from 24,400 in 2023/24 to 60,400 in 2024/25, then down to 22,800 in 2025/26. Complaints that a lender was irresponsible or unaffordable on cards (meaning it gave you credit it should have seen you could not afford) fell from 49,400 to 8,800.

Take those out and the picture flips. On our sums, every other kind of card complaint rose from about 11,000 to about 14,000, up around 27%. So the big fall is mostly one type of complaint shrinking. The Ombudsman’s figures do not say why, and they do not say fewer people are having trouble with their cards.

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Who is complaining

A quarter of all complaints in 2025/26 (52,900) came from people the Ombudsman classed as vulnerable. The year before it was 10% (32,000). The data does not explain the jump, but it does mean that if you are struggling and you complain, you are in large company.

If you want to join them: the order that works

1. Complain to the firm first. Put it in writing: what went wrong, when, and what you want them to do. Keep copies. Our guide on what to say to a debt collector helps if payments are part of the problem.
2. Give them time. For most complaints the firm has up to 8 weeks. For fraud and scams, payment services and e-money it is 15 days.
3. Then go to the Ombudsman. You can go if you disagree with the answer, or if the firm has not replied within its time limit. You have 6 months from the date on the final response.
4. Use the online form. It is free, you do not need a lawyer or a claims company, and the form checks whether the Ombudsman can help with your complaint.

Bailiffs work differently. If your complaint is about enforcement agents, read how to complain about a bailiff first.

What this data cannot tell you

• It covers one year. The table gives no year-on-year change for debt collection, so we do not claim a trend.
• 1,897 is complaints that reached the Ombudsman. Most complaints are settled by the firm and never get this far.
• It counts complaints, not people. One person can complain several times.
• “Found in the consumer’s favour” does not tell you how much was paid or what was put right.

For wider UK and US figures on insolvencies, card debt and interest rates, see our debt statistics page. For everything else on getting out of debt in the UK, start with the UK debt help guide.

Questions people ask

Does it cost anything to take a complaint to the Ombudsman?

No. It is free. You do not need a solicitor or a claims company, and you should be wary of anyone who wants a cut.

The collector ignored me. Can I skip to the Ombudsman?

If the firm has not replied within its time limit, yes. For most complaints that is 8 weeks. Keep proof of when you sent your complaint.

What can the Ombudsman actually make them do?

It decides whether the firm treated you fairly. If it did not, it can tell the firm to put things right, for example by correcting your credit file, removing a charge or paying compensation. The published figures do not break down how often each happens.

30% sounds low. Is it worth the bother?

The 30% is an average across every product, including complaints where the firm had done nothing wrong. It costs nothing to try. Your chances are best when you have dates, letters and call notes to point to.

I do owe the money. Can I still complain?

Yes. A complaint is about how you were treated, not whether the debt exists. Winning a complaint does not wipe the debt. It deals with the behaviour, the charges or the record.

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