The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) exists to deal with complaints between financial service businesses (such as banks, insurance brokers, and loan and mortgage providers) and their customers – some of which are also businesses.

Access to the FOS is being extended to small businesses with fewer than 50 staff and a balance sheet value (net assets) of £5 million or less.

It has also been proposed that the maximum amount of compensation that can be awarded by the FOS should be increased from £150,000 to £350,000 where the complaint arises from an act or omission after 1 April 2019.