Complaints procedure

If you are unhappy with the service you get from the Ministry of Defence (MOD) or its agencies, there are different ways you can complain.

Our commitment

At the MOD we are committed to providing a high quality of service to everyone with whom we deal. We continually look at our existing performance and try to improve on 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.

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. However, if you do not know who is responsible for the matter, then you can write to them via:

The Ministerial Correspondence Unit
Level 5, Zone A
Main Building
Whitehall
London SW1A 2HB

The department aims to issue a full response to your complaint within 20 working days of receiving it.

If we cannot, we will tell you who is handling the complaint, and when they expect to be able to reply in full. It will help us to deal with your complaint if you can provide as much background information as possible.

What to do if you’re not satisfied

If 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 which will be carried out in the division where you made your initial complaint.

You should normally 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 do not know who to contact, or wish to refer the case to a part of the MOD independent of the area that handled the initial complaint, you should write to:

Corporate Strategy and Governance
Level 3 Zone M
Main Building
Whitehall
London SW1A 2HB

If you remain dissatisfied after the internal review, you have the right to contact the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (the Ombudsman) through your Member of Parliament.

The Ombudsman can be contacted at the following address:

The Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration
Millbank Tower
London SW1P 4QP

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.

Other complaints procedures within MOD

Complaints about requests for information made under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act or the Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) 2004.

Complaints regarding the handling of and response to requests for information FOI Act 2000 or the EIR 2004 should be addressed to:

MOD Information Rights team
Ground floor, zone D
Main Building
Whitehall
London
SW1A 2HB

Email: cio-foi@mod.uk

Complaints under the Data Protection Act 1998

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 Information Rights team
Ground floor, zone D
Main Building
Whitehall
London SW1A 2HB

Email: cio-foi@mod.uk

Complaints about military low-flying

For guidance on low flying, how to seek advise and how to complaint see our Low flying military aircraft guide.

Complaints about MOD Police

Copies of leaflets on how to make a complaint against the MOD Police are available from local MOD Police Units or from:

Ministry of Defence Police HQ Wethersfield
Braintree
Essex
CM7 4AZ

Telephone: 01371 854 648

Complaints about pensions

Separate advice can also be obtained about complaints relating to civilian pensions from:

Senior Pension Manager
PPA Pensions
PO Box 42
Stockport

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 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.

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