A new strategy to reform the Legal Ombudsman (LeO) service will be under consultation next week, as despite resolving more complaints year-on year, demand is outpacing capacity.
In a half-year update from the complaints service published last Friday, the LeO reported having received more than 8,700 complaints, a 31% rise from the equivalent period last year, rising to 43% higher in the second quarter.
Equally, the LeO resolved 2,327 complaints in the first quarter and 2,551 in the second, an increase of 15% and 26% respectively year-on-year.
The service predicts receiving nearly 18,000 new complaints in the coming year and a further 21,000 in 2027/2028, meanwhile its current model’s annual complaints capacity sits at around 15,000 resolutions, a gap which is “not sustainable”, it says.
To address the increasing demand on the service, work has been started on a Scheme Transformation Review, supported by Deloitte, which will examine the current operating model and will work alongside proposed changes to the LeO’s Scheme Rules, case fees and publications of final ombudsman decisions.
These proposals aim to “encourage better first-tier complaint handling, resolve complaints at the earliest appropriate stage and rebalance how the scheme’s costs are distributed”.
Presenting an overview of the first half of the year, complaints to the LeO continue to focus on communication and delays, with these accounting for 45% of accepted complaint types.
Around one in four consumers said their provider had not given them a final response before they approached LeO, the service revealed.
Addressing how the Ombudsman reports on caseloads, while historically much of the reporting focused on complaints that had been accepted but were not actively being investigated, new framework will “provide a fuller end-to-end view” with the LeO including details of open enquiries, work being prepared for investigation, active investigations and cases approaching conclusion.
This new framework will affect headline numbers, the service states, and cannot be comparative to previous figures.
Phil Cain, chief ombudsman, said: “The fuller measure will help us see more clearly where complaints are waiting, where they are moving and where pressure is building. It will help us assess whether changes are improving the flow of work and give the OLC Board and our stakeholders a better basis on which to understand LeO’s performance.”
A new combined strategy for the Ombudsman and the Office for Legal Complaints (OLC) for 2027 to 2030 will be under consultation next week, along with a business plan and budget plan for 2027/2028.
The LeO emphasised the importance of collaborating with consumers, legal service providers, professional bodies, regulators and others across the sector to improve services widely.
