Guidance

How to complain about the Adjudicator’s Office service or decision

When and how to complain to the Adjudicator's Office about their service or decision.

As part of our investigation, the Adjudicator’s Office will review what you have sent us and carry out any necessary enquiries.

We will then:

  • make our decision
  • make recommendations if we decide HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) or the Home Office need to put things right
  • write to you (or your representative) and HMRC, the VOA or the Home Office with an explanation of our decision

How to ask for an independent review on the Adjudicator’s Office decision

If you are dissatisfied with our decision, you can ask an MP to send your review request or complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.

You must provide the MP with:

  • full details of why you are dissatisfied and what you would like to happen
  • any evidence to support your view (if you need any documents returning, you will need to request them within our 50-working day retention policy)
  • your telephone number and preferred method of contact

Make a complaint about the Adjudicator’s Office service

We will deal with your complaint in the following ways:

  • treat you in a polite and professional manner
  • safeguard the information you give to us
  • use plain language and avoid jargon where possible when we communicate with you
  • give an explanation of how we have handled your complaint

If you are dissatisfied with our service, not our decision, let the member of staff know who’s dealing with your complaint.

If the matter is not resolved to your satisfaction, contact us

If you’re still not happy with our service, write to our Head of Office for a second review.

The Adjudicator’s Head of Office reply is our final decision on your complaint about our service. If you remain dissatisfied after this review, you can ask an MP to send your complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.

How the Adjudicator’s Office helps HMRC, the VOA and the Home Office to learn from complaints

We are a learning organisation and welcome feedback. We will always consider feedback and where wider lessons are raised, we will use this opportunity to improve customer service.

Published 9 December 2013
Last updated 13 May 2021 + show all updates
  1. Added Welsh translation

  2. We updated the page to include our Windrush Compensation Scheme independent review role.

  3. First published.