Complaints to the SIA: volume, timescales and trends
Published 12 May 2026
© Crown copyright 2026
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-to-the-sia-volume-timescales-and-trends/complaints-to-the-sia-volume-timescales-and-trends
Response
We can confirm that we hold this information.
We have attached a CSV file containing the relevant data for questions 1 and 2. Data provided is up to date as of 14 April 2026.
Number of complaints received
Please see attached a CSV file showing data relating to customer complaints received by quarter from April 2022 to present. The data contains the reasons, whether upheld or not, for complaints raised which are based on the reason the customer has informed us they are unhappy with.
Please note that a complaint can contain more than one reason logged against it.
Time taken to resolve a complaint
Please see attached a CSV file showing data relating to the average time taken calculated in working days to resolve a complaint by quarter from April 2022 to present.
Please note that the SIA has 20 working days to resolve a complaint from date of receipt.
Number of complaints escalated to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
The number of complaints escalated is below 10 and therefore has not been broken down individually. For this reason, the outcomes cannot be provided.
Please note that we are only made aware of a complaint made to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) if the PHSO notifies us and requires further information regarding a complaint. Not all complaints made are investigated further and therefore we will not be notified. As a result, the figure of <10 reflects only those complaints to which we have been notified of directly by the PHSO.
You may submit a Freedom of Information request to the PHSO.
Copies of internal reports, board papers, or management information packs
Please see attached copies of Board papers regarding our annual reports on complaints for the financial years 2023 to 2024 and 2024 to 2025.
The Board paper for 2025 to 2026 is exempt under section 22 of the Freedom of Information Act as the information is held by the SIA with a view to its publication at a future date and this information was already held with a view to such publication at the time the request for information was made and it is reasonable in all circumstances that the information should be withheld from disclosure.
Section 22 is a qualified class-based exemption and consideration must be given as to whether there is a public interest in providing the information prior to the anticipated publication.
The SIA recognises that there is a strong public interest to demonstrate openness, transparency, and accountability with regards to the Freedom of Information legislation particularly in relation to an individual’s right to know. We recognise that disclosure would provide reassurance in relation to the utilisation of public funds by the SIA which is also achieved by publishing this information on the gov.uk webpages.
The SIA is committed to publishing information however we do not consider that it is in the public interest to place information into the public domain, prematurely, before pre-publication procedures have taken place. There is a public interest in ensuring that the SIA maximises cost effectiveness and providing this information in respect to an FOI request is not the most cost-effective way of placing this information in the public domain when it is due to be published.
We have therefore reached the view that, on balance, the public interest is better served by withholding this information under Section 22 of the Act at this time.
[Ref: FOI 0601]