Complaints procedure
If you are unhappy with the service you receive from the Ministry of Defence and its agencies, there are different ways you can complain.
Our commitment
We are committed to providing a high quality of service to everyone we deal with. We continually look at our existing performance and try to improve it.
You may be in a good position to judge how we are performing, and we need you to tell us if we get things wrong. We will listen to your complaints and treat them seriously and in confidence.
We aim to put things right for you when it is possible and appropriate, learn from where we went wrong and make sure that we do not make the same mistake again.
The Department aims to issue a full response to your complaint within 20 working days of receiving it. If we can’t, we will tell you the reason and when you can expect us to reply in full. It will help us to deal with your complaint if you can provide as much background information as possible.
How to complain
If you have a complaint, you should initially make it to the relevant part of MOD involved in the matter, as they will usually be best placed to put things right. This may be the relevant Service Unit or Headquarters or a branch of the MOD.
The MOD already has procedures in place for certain types of complaint. The following list identifies who you should write to in the first instance, if your complaint relates to these areas:
Common Law Claims & Policy Division
Processing common-law, non-contractual compensation claims against and on behalf of the Ministry of Defence at home and abroad. More about Common Law Claims & Policy Division.
Freedom of Information (FOI) Act or the Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) 2004
Complaints about requests for information made under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act or the Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) 2004 should be addressed to:
MOD Information Rights team
Ground Floor, Zone D
Main Building
Whitehall
London
SW1A 2HB
Email: [email protected]
Complaints under the Data Protection Act 2018
Details of the complaints procedure relating to the processing of personal data held by MOD are contained in the replies to each subject access request. Complaints to the Departmental Data Protection Officer should be addressed to:
MOD Data Protection Officer’s Team
Ground Floor, Zone D
Main Building
Whitehall
London SW1A 2HB
Email: [email protected]
Complaints about military low-flying
For guidance on low flying, how to seek advice and how to complain, see our Low flying military aircraft guide.
Complaints about MOD Police
If you wish to make a complaint about the MOD Police, please complete the Complaints Form (PDF, 1.7 MB, 5 pages) and forward via email to [email protected] or send the completed form to:
Professional Standards Department
Ministry of Defence Police HQ
Palmer Pavilion
RAF Wyton
Huntingdon
Cambridgeshire
PE28 2EA
Complaints about Defence Business Services (DBS)
Guidance for non-MOD civilian employees who would like to make a complaint to Defence Business Services (DBS).
How to make a complaint to Defence Business Services
Complaints about pensions
Separate advice can also be obtained about complaints relating to civilian pensions from:
Civil Service Pensions
PO Box 2017
Liverpool
L69 2BU
Telephone (UK): 0300 123 6666
Telephone (overseas): +44 1903 835902
Complaints about MOD Schools
The MOD schools complaints procedure is a policy guide for service families about how complaints from service children or service parents to MOD Schools are handled.
Complaints about Veterans UK
If you’d like to complain about any aspect of the service you’ve received when making your War Pension or Armed Forces Compensation claim, you can contact:
Veterans UK helpline
Email: [email protected]
Freephone (UK only): 0808 1914 2 18
Telephone (overseas): +44 1253 866 043
Veterans UK
Norcross
Thornton-Cleveleys
Lancashire
FY5 3WP
General Complaints
If your complaint is not covered by these areas or you do not know who is responsible for the matter, then you should write to our Ministerial Correspondence Unit at the following address where your complaint will be forwarded to the department within the MOD that is best placed to respond:
The Ministerial Correspondence Unit
Level 5, Zone A
Main Building
Whitehall
London SW1A 2HB
Alternatively, you can email the department via the following address: [email protected]. Please note that we cannot reply by email. You must include a postal address if you wish to receive a response.
If you continue to be dissatisfied with the service provided by the MOD
If you feel that your complaint has not been fully addressed or you are not satisfied with the way in which your complaint has been handled, you have the right to ask for an internal review of your case. In the first instance, this review will be carried out in the same area where you made your initial complaint but will be undertaken by an independent individual at a more senior level. You should be informed of who to contact to ask for an internal review as part of the response you receive to your initial complaint.
If you are still dissatisfied following the internal review, you can request a maladministration review conducted by an independent team in MOD’s Head Office. If you would like your complaint to be investigated by this team, you should write to:
Maladministration
Strategic Hub Planning
Level 5, Zone N
MOD Main Building
Whitehall
London SW1A 2HB
If you remain dissatisfied after your complaint has been subject to a maladministration review, you have the right to contact the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman through your Member of Parliament at the following address:
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Citygate
Mosley Street
Manchester
M2 3HQ