PHSO Casework Decisions
3,622 published casework decisions from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (Apr 2021–Mar 2026). PHSO selects a subset of completed investigations for public publication — these 3,622 decisions represent approximately 1.1% of the 321,459 total complaints received across the same period. Source: decisions.ombudsman.org.uk.
3,622
Published Decisions
3,089
Health
533
Parliamentary (Govt)
18%
Upheld / Partly Upheld
Department for Work and Pensions (P-005103)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Benefits for families and death benefits
Benefits for families and death benefits
AI summary: Mrs C complained HMRC wrongly did not reinstate her tax credits and the DWP did not provide adequate information about claiming UC.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-005044)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Carers and disability benefits
AI summary: Mrs G complained the DWP failed to identify or act on her daughter's suicidal thoughts recorded in her PIP application, missing an opportunity to prevent her death.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-005019)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Benefits for families and death benefits
Complaint handling
AI summary: Mr C complained that the DWP failed to provide documentation for his Universal Credit advance and that telephone agents failed to address his complaints.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-004995)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Pensions
Complaint handling
AI summary: Miss N complained the DWP incorrectly advised her about her State Pension entitlement in 2010 and failed to respond to information requests.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-004985)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Employment and low income benefits
Complaint handling
AI summary: Miss M complained the DWP failed to provide information and assistance when her health meant she could not work; she also complained about ICE's unsatisfactory decision.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-004979)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Employment and low income benefits
AI summary: Ms G complained that the DWP's Universal Credit policy required her to use a flat rate system for expenses as a self-employed taxi driver.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-004909)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Universal Credit
Universal Credit
AI summary: Mrs B complained the DWP gave incorrect advice, failed to consider her vulnerabilities from past abuse and disability, and unfairly pursued her for a shared debt.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-005004)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Carers and disability benefits
Carers and disability benefits
Carers and disability benefits
Carers and disability benefits
Complaint handling
AI summary: Mr N complained DWP poorly handled his benefits, stopping payments during medical treatment, ignoring correspondence requests, recording incorrect information, and inadequately addressing his complaint.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-004894)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Carers and disability benefits
AI summary: Mr K complained DWP failed to implement a March 2021 Tribunal decision, causing financial difficulties, homelessness, and impacting his health.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-004829)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Employment and low income benefits
AI summary: Ms H complained that the DWP incorrectly advised her to claim ESA as a couple in 2017, causing financial hardship and housing issues.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-004739)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Pensions
Pensions
AI summary: Mr J complained DWP failed to inform him of upcoming state pension changes in 2016 and inadequately publicized them, resulting in him not realizing his insufficient National Insurance Contributions.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-004712)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Employment and low income benefits
Complaint handling
AI summary: Ms L complained the DWP delayed processing her ESA claim, leading to a loss of housing benefit, and that the ICE review failed to acknowledge this financial impact.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-004680)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Employment and low income benefits
Employment and low income benefits
Complaint handling
AI summary: Mr A complained DWP failed to provide him with an appropriate carpentry course for employment and delayed communicating its decision and progressing his complaint.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-004657)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Universal Credit
AI summary: DWP ignored his journal entries about a job change and continued sending attendance requests despite a doctor's certificate, causing significant stress and self-harm.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-004634)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Employment and low income benefits
AI summary: Mr U complained the DWP wrongly advised him to claim Universal Credit in 2017, resulting in a loss of income and significant lasting distress without full redress.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-004576)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Pensions
AI summary: DWP failed to appropriately consider the procedural failures, delays, and distress experienced regarding her 2023 State Pension claim.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-004485)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Employment and low income benefits
Complaint handling
AI summary: Mr V complained DWP wrongly requested a refund for a Universal Credit Advance loan, caused by their error, and provided poor customer service with unkept promises.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-004355)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Carers and disability benefits
Carers and disability benefits
Carers and disability benefits
Carers and disability benefits
AI summary: The DWP failed to advise Ms D of ESA options, wrongly ceased payments, and did not properly backdate a claim, causing significant financial loss.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-004382)
UK Government
Not Upheld
Universal Credit
AI summary: Mr and Mrs P complained DWP's incorrect Universal Credit calculations, due to Carer's Allowance issues, caused financial hardship and distress, arguing the awarded remedy was insufficient.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-003715)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Universal Credit
Universal Credit
AI summary: Mr N complained DWP gave incorrect advice, causing him to claim Universal Credit unnecessarily, and failed to action a mandatory reconsideration, leading to financial hardship and distress.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-003632)
UK Government
Partly Upheld
Complaint handling
Carers and disability benefits
Carers and disability benefits
AI summary: Mrs X complained the DWP misadvised her about applying for PIP, failed to act on her worsening condition, causing financial loss, and offered insufficient compensation for their errors.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-003546)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Complaint handling
Employment and low income benefits
AI summary: Mr A complained DWP's work provider gave incorrect advice, failed to investigate information, provided poor communication, and inadequate information about his work programme, offering no resolution.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-003450)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Employment and low income benefits
AI summary: Mr B complained DWP delayed notifying him of ESA ineligibility and overpayment, failed to provide information, and did not reply to correspondence. He also challenged the ICE's decision not to award a financial remedy for distress.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-003307)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Employment and low income benefits
AI summary: Mr T complained the DWP gave incorrect advice regarding backdated LCWRA payments, causing him significant distress, self-harm, and financial loss.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-003296)
UK Government
Upheld
Universal Credit
Universal Credit
Universal Credit
Universal Credit
Universal Credit
AI summary: Miss A complained DWP incorrectly closed her UC account, failed to respond to mental health messages, delayed advising Debt Management of a revised decision, and was rude, causing financial hardship and distress.
Upheld / Partly Upheld
259 + 397
18% of decisions found fault with the organisation complained about.
Not Upheld
247
Complaint investigated but no fault found. 1 resolved during investigation.
Closed After Initial Enquiries
2,718
PHSO decided not to proceed to full investigation.
Most complained-about:
HM Revenue and Customs (80), University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (72), NHS England (62), Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (50), HM Courts and Tribunals Service (48).
Published Decisions Over Time
Excludes 2,718 closed before investigation. Quarterly, by outcome.
Annual Complaints (PHSO-wide)
Official PHSO annual statistics across all organisations
| Year | Received | Investigated | Upheld | Upheld % | Remedy % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | 54,478 | 12,275 | 1,216 | 9.9% | 0% |
| 2020-21 | 44,139 | 7,822 | 617 | 7.9% | 0% |
| 2021-22 | 62,553 | 13,426 | 727 | 5.4% | 0% |
| 2022-23 | 61,297 | 15,734 | 782 | 5.0% | 0% |
| 2023-24 | 63,471 | 17,321 | 946 | 5.5% | 0% |
| 2024-25 | 35,521 | 10,070 | 519 | 5.2% | 0% |
Remedy % = percentage of PHSO remedies complied with on time
Top Themes
Themes by Upheld Rate
AI-classified themes across PHSO casework decisions
| Theme | Decisions | Upheld | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delayed Recognition of Deterioration | 747 | 184 | 25% |
| Complaint record keeping failures | 632 | 108 | 17% |
| Clinical negligence harms learning | 460 | 92 | 20% |
| Care plan failures | 436 | 121 | 28% |
| Care and discharge planning | 288 | 77 | 27% |
| No person-centred care | 215 | 46 | 21% |
| Inaccurate and inaccessible patient records | 204 | 37 | 18% |
| Patient dignity and privacy | 147 | 40 | 27% |
| Inadequate Pre-Operative Risk Assessment | 136 | 44 | 32% |
| Duty of Candour implementation | 134 | 43 | 32% |
| Medication Contamination/Misadministration | 128 | 33 | 26% |
| DWP policy impact assessment | 106 | 12 | 11% |
| Poor health and social care integration | 97 | 21 | 22% |
| Mental Health Crisis Referral Delays | 74 | 10 | 14% |
| Coroner family information gaps | 74 | 25 | 34% |
PHSO Complaint Categories
PHSO Categories by Upheld Rate
PHSO's own issue classifications — broad categories such as 'Treatment' cover a wide range of clinical complaints
| Category | Decisions | Upheld | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Treatment | 1,610 | 418 | 26% |
| Diagnosis | 850 | 206 | 24% |
| Communication | 792 | 233 | 29% |
| Complaint handling | 534 | 161 | 30% |
| Drugs / medication | 463 | 130 | 28% |
| Nursing care | 388 | 154 | 40% |
| Access | 363 | 87 | 24% |
| Transfer, discharge and aftercare | 353 | 119 | 34% |
| Referral | 262 | 58 | 22% |
| Administration | 191 | 30 | 16% |
| End of life care | 170 | 50 | 29% |
| Choice and Consent | 165 | 48 | 29% |
| Continuing healthcare | 160 | 14 | 9% |
| Surgery | 145 | 32 | 22% |
| Record keeping and management | 133 | 30 | 23% |
Organisation Accountability
Combines PHSO annual complaint statistics (volume, remedy compliance) with published decisions portal data (uphold rate). Sorted by upheld rate for organisations with 5+ investigated decisions. Benchmark: 73% average upheld rate among fully investigated decisions. This differs from the headline 18% figure, which includes all 3,340 published decisions — most of which were closed before full investigation (upheld/not upheld only applies to fully investigated cases). Sparklines show complaint volumes received 2019–20 → 2024–25.
Received = complaints received in most recent year (PHSO annual data). Remedy compliance = % of PHSO-recommended remedies complied with across all available years. — = no data in that dataset for this organisation.