The Dispute Resolution (DISP) rules require firms to send us reports on volumes of complaints. Find out how to submit one.
You should report complaints online through RegData (our reporting system for collecting, validating and storing regulatory data).
Read more about RegData and how to register for the service.
Read the DISP rules in the Handbook.
If this is your first time using the Handbook, find support in our guides:
Credit unions: reporting disputes
Credit unions can use the standard paper form (PDF, 123KB, 4 pages) since their complaints reporting is governed by CREDS (as opposed to DISP) requirements.
Upcoming changes on how to report complaints
From 1 January 2027, there will be a single, unified complaints return: COM001.
This will replace 5 of the existing complaints returns:
- DISP 1 Annex 1
- Consumer Credit Return (CCR)
- Funeral Plans (FP)
- Claims Management Companies (CMCs)
- Electronic Money and Payment Services Return (PSR)
Who this applies to
COM001 applies to FCA-authorised firms subject to DISP rules, including:
- banks and building societies
- insurance firms (life and general insurers)
- investment firms
- mortgage lenders and intermediaries
- retail financial services providers (eg pensions, retail investment firms)
- consumer credit firms
- payment services and e-money firms
- complaint management companies
- funeral plan providers
Preparing for these changes
If your firm is affected by these changes, you will need to make the appropriate internal process and system changes to meet the requirements set out in PS25/19. You should ensure you are collecting individual data points from 1 January 2027.
Since publishing PS25/19, we’ve finalised the rules on targeted support. Also, Deferred Payment Credit has come within our regulatory perimeter. The legal instrument has been updated to reflect these additional data points. Please see the DISP rules in our Handbook for the most up-to-date reporting requirements.
View the future reporting rules in the DISP Handbook by using the timeline feature. To find out more about viewing different versions of the Handbook, see Using the Timeline.
See the new list of products and complaints types.
Key reporting changes for affected firms
- Reporting will be on a fixed 6-month and calendar-year basis, with the first reporting period being 1 January 2027 to 30 June 2027.
- Based on permissions, you will only need to complete the sections of the new return relevant to your regulated activities.
- You'll have the option to report nil complaints upfront.
- Group reporting has been removed. Reporting will be at individual legal entity level.
- Revised taxonomy, reflecting modern products and services. Reducing reliance on reporting against 'Other'.
- Reporting vulnerable customer data for 2 specific data points:
- Where you identify a customer is in vulnerable circumstances, regardless of how this was disclosed.
- All complaints relating to or caused by your failure to consider or respond to a customer’s vulnerability.
- Contextualised complaints data will be required for retail banking, insurance, payment services and CMC firms only.
Resources to understand the new complaints return
We've published Data Reference Guides for COM001, which include the XML specifications and details of validation rules.
Find these guides on our RegData resources page.
To help you understand which questions to complete and how the return captures information, we’ve also published a data flow diagram (PDF).
Accessibility notice: This PDF is a visual overview of the data-capture journey for the new complaints return. As some content is presented visually, users of accessibility tools should refer to the COM001 Data Reference Guide on our RegData resources page.
Next steps
Once COM001 is ready, you’ll be able to access it in our RegData industry test environment.
To register for the test environment, email [email protected].
We've been holding regular sessions on the design of the new complaints return and will continue to engage with industry as this work progresses.
