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Public service complaint systems failing too many people

16 June 2015

People need a single, clear system to make complaints about public services, says Citizens Advice in response to a report from the National Audit Office.

The report says the public service complaints process can be complex and reveals almost half of users who experience problems do not complain.

Gillian Guy, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice, said:

“Crucial opportunities to improve public services are being squandered because of poor complaints systems.

“People often have to navigate through a bureaucratic maze to raise a problem and in some cases they simply don’t know where to turn.

“In the past four years there has been a 56% increase in the number of issues reported to Citizens Advice involving a complaint about a public service.

“There needs to be single, clear complaints system to give people a voice and let them shape how public services work.”

Notes to editors

  1. The Citizens Advice service comprises a network of local Citizens Advice, all of which are independent charities, the Citizens Advice consumer service and national charity Citizens Advice. Together we help people resolve their money, legal and other problems by providing information and advice and by influencing policymakers. For more see the Citizens Advice website.
  2. The advice provided by the Citizens Advice service is free, independent, confidential, and impartial, and available to everyone regardless of race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion, age or nationality.
  3. To get advice online or find your local bureau in England and Wales, visit citizensadvice.org.uk
  4. You can get consumer advice from the Citizens Advice consumer service on 03454 04 05 06 or 03454 04 05 05 for Welsh language speakers.
  5. Local Citizens Advice in England and Wales advised 2.5 million clients on 6.2 million problems in 2014/15. For full service statistics see our publication Advice trends.