MIS-SOLDINVESTMENT
Check your claim

TL Time limits

The clock decides more cases than the merits do.

Most people lose not because their complaint was weak but because they found out about the deadlines too late. This page sets out each one, with the rule behind it and where it comes from.

Each rule is quoted from the official source shown in the Sources list on this page.
RouteWhat the rule saysThe clock starts
Firm complaintYou normally need to complain within 6 years of the problem happening or, if later, within 3 years of becoming aware that you had cause to complain.The problem itself, or the date you became aware of it
Firm’s responseFirms must normally give you their final response in writing within 8 weeks of your complaint.The date of your complaint
Financial Ombudsman ServiceYou need to contact the Financial Ombudsman Service within 6 months of receiving the firm’s final response, or it may not be able to help.The date of the firm’s final response
FSCSThere is no single universal deadline: eligibility depends on when the firm failed and what you could reasonably have known. FSCS publishes the position for each failed firm.Depends on the firm and the failure — check FSCS guidance for that firm
Court — negligenceFor negligence claims where the facts were not known at the outset, the limitation period is six years from the date the cause of action accrued, or three years from the date of knowledge — whichever expires later.The cause of action, or the date of knowledge
Court — the longstopThere is an overriding fifteen-year longstop running from the act or omission alleged to constitute the negligence, which bars the claim even if the three-year knowledge period has not yet started to run.The act or omission complained of
Court — FCA rule breachUnder section 138D of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, a contravention by an authorised person of a rule made by the FCA is actionable at the suit of a private person who suffers loss as a result, subject to the defences that apply to actions for breach of statutory duty. Limitation is generally the same as for negligence, but take advice on your own facts.The loss caused by the breach

01 In sequence

What happens when.

The sequence below is the shape of a typical investment complaint. The two things that catch people are the six-month window after a final response and the fact that court time keeps running while you wait.

  1. Day 0

    You discover the problem

    This is often the date that matters most, because the three-year “date of knowledge” period runs from it. If you could not reasonably have known earlier, say why — and keep the document or letter that told you.

  2. Within 6 years, or 3 years of awareness

    Complain to the firm

    The FCA’s stated position is that you normally need to complain within 6 years of the problem happening, or within 3 years of becoming aware that you had cause to complain, if that is later.

  3. Within 8 weeks

    The firm’s final response

    Firms must normally give you a final response in writing within 8 weeks of your complaint. If you do not receive one, you can go to the Ombudsman without waiting further.

  4. Within 6 months

    Refer to the Financial Ombudsman Service

    You need to contact the Ombudsman within 6 months of receiving the firm’s final response, or it may not be able to help. This is the deadline that catches the most people.

  5. While that runs

    Court limitation keeps running

    The Ombudsman’s process does not pause the clock for a court claim. If a court claim is a realistic possibility, take advice on the dates before you accept any final decision.

  6. 6 years, or 3 from knowledge

    Issue a court claim

    For negligence, the period is 6 years from the date the cause of action accrued, or 3 years from the date of knowledge — whichever expires later.

  7. 15 years

    The longstop bars everything

    A 15-year longstop runs from the act or omission alleged to constitute the negligence. It bars the claim even if the three-year knowledge period has not yet started to run.

02 Practical steps

Five things to do this week.

  • Write down every date you know: when you were sold it, when you realised, and when you last complained
  • Put the complaint in writing, even if the deadline looks comfortable
  • Diarise the date of the firm’s final response, and six months after it
  • Ask the firm for the advice file in the same letter
  • If your last advice was years ago, take advice on the longstop now rather than later
Check your own datesCompare the routes

The one to remember

Six months from the firm’s final response to contact the Financial Ombudsman Service. It is short, it is absolute, and it is the deadline people most often miss.

03 Questions

About the deadlines.

How long do I have to make a claim?

It depends on the route. For a firm complaint the FCA’s stated position is normally 6 years from the problem or 3 years from awareness. For the Ombudsman it is 6 months from the final response. For court it is 6 years from the cause of action or 3 years from the date of knowledge, whichever is later, with a 15-year longstop.

What is the “date of knowledge”?

The date you first had enough knowledge to bring a claim: the facts about the damage, that it was attributable to the act or omission complained of, and the identity of the responsible party. Where you could not reasonably have known sooner, this date can extend the three-year period — and it is a question of fact worth legal advice.

What is the 15-year longstop?

An overriding limit running from the act or omission alleged to constitute the negligence, under section 14B of the Limitation Act 1980. It bars a claim even if the three-year knowledge period has not yet started. On older investments this is often the binding constraint.

Does complaining to the firm or the Ombudsman pause the court clock?

No. Time limits for court keep running while a complaint sits with a firm or with the Ombudsman. If a court claim is a realistic possibility, take advice on the dates before accepting anything.

Can the Ombudsman look at something outside the court time limits?

It applies its own time rules and its own view of what is fair, so a case outside the court limits is not automatically outside the Ombudsman’s. That is a question for the Ombudsman on your own facts.

What is the deadline for FSCS?

There is no single answer. Eligibility depends on when the firm failed and what you could reasonably have known, and FSCS publishes the position for each failed firm. Check its own guidance for the firm in question rather than relying on a general rule.

Do the deadlines apply to a claim by an estate?

Yes. The deadlines do not pause because the person who suffered the loss has died. An executor or administrator can pursue a complaint the deceased had, and both the Ombudsman and FSCS have processes for that — but the clock is the same clock.

What should I do if a deadline is close?

Put the complaint in writing today, and take advice on the court position immediately. A written complaint takes minutes and starts the process; advice on limitation is worth an hour because it decides whether the option still exists.

Sources

Every rule, limit and deadline on this page comes from the official sources below. Each was read on the date shown. Where we could not verify a rule against the official text, we have left a visible instruction to confirm it rather than describing it from memory.

MIS-SOLD INVESTMENT / CLAIM CHECKER