Service Complaints
The Armed Forces Commissioner has the power to:
- Refer your intention to make a Service Complaint to your Service Central Admissibility Team (CAT).
- Review decisions to not accept a complaint or appeal for investigation (Admissibility Decisions).
- Investigate allegations of Undue Delay.
- Investigate allegations of Maladministration in a Service Complaint that has been finally determined.
- Investigate the Substance of a Service Complaint that has been finally determined.
Referrals
How to make a referral
If you want to make a Service Complaint and do not want to approach your Service Secretariat Central Admissibility Team (CAT) directly, you can ask the Commissioner to refer your intention to make a Service Complaint.
The Commissioner cannot investigate your Service Complaint at this stage. It must go through the relevant Service's internal complaints process first.
Current and former Service personnel can ask the Commissioner to refer their intention to raise a Service Complaint.
Note: A Service Complaint should usually be submitted within three months of the alleged wrong. However different time limits may apply if the matter being complained of has or could be subject of a claim to the Employment Tribunal.
A referral is not a formal Service Complaint and does not "stop the clock" on the time limits for making a Service Complaint.
Further information on the Referrals process can be found here.
If you would like the Commissioner to refer your intention to make a Service Complaint please click here or via the relevant box below.
Undue Delay
How to make an Undue Delay application
- You believe there has been undue delay in the handling of a Service Complaint you have made; or
- You believe there has been undue delay in the handling of a Service Matter you have raised; and,
- The Service Complaint or Service Matter is still open.
- Made an informal complaint
- Submitted an Annex F/written statement of complaint, but an admissibility decision has not yet been made.
Admissibility Review - Admissibility Decision
How to make an Admissibility Decision application
The Commissioner can review a decision not to accept a complaint for investigation.
You have 4 weeks and 2 days from the date your decision was posted or emailed to ask the Commissioner to review it.
If you don’t make your application to the Commissioner within 4 weeks and 2 days, you need to provide reasons for this and your application might not be accepted.
Further information on admissibility decision reviews can be found here.
If you wish to make an application to the Commissioner for an admissibility review please click here or via the relevant box below.
Please note: It is important that we can contact you once you have submitted an application. If we can’t contact you we may be unable to process your application or there may be delays in any investigation.
Admissibility Review – Appeal
How to make an Admissibility appeal application
If you have appealed the outcome of your Service Complaint and it has not been accepted, the Commissioner can review the decision not to accept your appeal. This includes if it was ruled out of time or ruled inadmissible due not being brought on a valid ground.
You have 4 weeks and 2 days from the date your decision was posted or emailed to ask the Commissioner to review it. If you miss this deadline you will need to provide reasons for this and your application might not be accepted.
Please note: It is important that we can contact you once you have submitted an application. If we can’t contact you we may be unable to process your application or there may be delays in any investigation.
If you ask the Commissioner to review the appeal admissibility decision and the Commissioner upholds the Service's decision that the appeal cannot proceed, this means that the Service Complaint is finally determined. You then have the option to apply to the Commissioner for a Substance and/or Maladministration investigation.
You will have 6 weeks and 2 days from the date of our appeal admissibility decision to submit such an application to the Commissioner.
Further information on admissibility reviews can be found here.
If you wish to make an application to the Commissioner for an admissibility review please click here or via the relevant box below.
Substance and/or maladministration
How to make a Substance and/or maladministration application
Once your Service Complaint has been finally determined and if you believe the final decision on your Service Complaint was incorrect, you can ask the Commissioner to investigate what your complaint was about. The Commissioner is not a third level of appeal.
You have 6 weeks and 2 days from the date of either the Decision Body/Appeal Body Decision Letter or Commissioner’s appeal admissibility decision letter to submit an application. If you miss this deadline you will need to provide reasons for this and your application might not be accepted.
Maladministration: Investigate allegations of Maladministration in a Service Complaint that has been finally determined.
Once your Service Complaint has been finally determined and if you believe the complaint was not handled appropriately, you can ask the Commissioner to investigate the way it was handled.
You have 6 weeks and 2 days from the date of either the Decision Body/Appeal Body Decision Letter or Commissioner’s appeal admissibility decision letter to submit an application. If you miss this deadline you will need to provide reasons for this and your application might not be accepted.
Please note: The Commissioner is not a third level of appeal. This means that not all applications will be accepted.
What is Substance?
It means what your complaint was actually about.
If you believe the final decision on your Service Complaint was incorrect, you can ask the Commissioner to investigate your complaint
What is Maladministration?
It means that something was wrong or improper in the way your complaint was handled.
If you believe this has happened, you can ask the Commissioner to investigate the way your complaint was handled.
Any investigation will not look at whether your complaint should have been upheld or not.
Further information on how to make an application to investigate alleged substance and/or maladministration can be found here.
If you would like to make an application for an investigation into substance and/or maladministration, please use the link below or click here.
Please note: It is important that we can contact you once you have submitted an application. If we can’t contact you we may be unable to process your application or there may be delays in any investigation.
Important: There is a maximum size limit when sending attachments of 10MB. If you have not been contacted within 2 working days of submitting your application, please email contact@afcommissioner.org.uk to confirm your application has been received.
Timeframes for processing your application
There are different timeframes for processing applications which have been highlighted below. If you have any questions please email: contact@afcommissioner.org.uk
Referral
2 days. Once we receive your application you will receive an acknowledgement within 2 working days.
7 days. Once your completed application has been processed a Referral will be made to the relevant Service within 7 working days.
Undue Delay
2 days Once we receive your application you will receive an acknowledgement within 2 working days.
10 days The initial assessment of your application will take up to 10 working days.
17 days Once your application has been assigned to an investigator, we aim to provide you with a final decision within 17 working days.
Admissibility Review
2 days Once we receive your application you will receive an acknowledgement within 2 working days.
10 days The initial assessment of your application will take up to 10 working days.
17 days Once your application has been assigned to an investigator, we aim to provide you with a final decision within 17 working days.
Substance and/or maladministration
2 days. Once we receive your application you will receive an acknowledgement within 2 working days.
10 days. The initial triage assessment of your application will take up to 10 working days. You will be informed if your application is accepted for investigation in this time. If your application is not accepted you will receive a decision letter to explain why it was not accepted.
100 days. Once your application has been allocated to an investigator, we aim to provide you with a final decision within 100 working days.