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-003232)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Employment and low income benefits
Employment and low income benefits
AI summary: Miss A complained DWP wrongly alleged undeclared pension income, altered evidence for a tribunal, and initiated a fraud investigation during COVID-19, causing distress and health issues.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-003180)
UK Government
Partly Upheld
Carers and disability benefits
Carers and disability benefits
Carers and disability benefits
AI summary: DWP failed to correctly assess his Employment and Support Allowance entitlement in 2012 and 2016, and misadvised him in 2016 about his occupational pension, causing financial loss.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-003143)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Carers and disability benefits
AI summary: Mrs O complained DWP offered insufficient compensation (£500) after failing to pay her mother DLA for eight years, which impacted her post-stroke rehabilitation opportunities.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-003055)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Universal Credit
AI summary: Mr A complained the DWP failed to pay the correct amount of rent through an Alternative Payment Arrangement since August 2021, resulting in financial disadvantage and frustration.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-002989)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Benefits for families and death benefits
AI summary: Mrs R complained DWP gave her incorrect information in 2012, causing her to delay claiming Bereavement Benefit until too late, missing financial assistance.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-003164)
UK Government
Partly Upheld
Pensions
Complaint handling
AI summary: Mr G complained DWP failed to communicate a pension benefit change (ADI) in a timely manner and did not respond to his complaints, causing financial difficulties and stress.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-002845)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Complaint handling
AI summary: A complainant alleged CMS experienced delays in calculating maintenance payments and variations, provided conflicting information, and communicated poorly regarding arrears and repayment rates.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-002722)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Carers and disability benefits
Carers and disability benefits
Carers and disability benefits
Carers and disability benefits
AI summary: Mr O complained the DWP delayed processing Mr Q's PIP claim and gave incorrect information. He also alleged IAS delayed arranging and cancelled assessments for Mr Q.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-002708)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Benefits for families and death benefits
Benefits for families and death benefits
Benefits for families and death benefits
AI summary: DWP mishandled his family's Universal Credit claim, causing payment delays, poor communication, failure to signpost benefits, and inadequate complaint responses.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-002611)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Pensions
Pensions
Pensions
Complaint handling
AI summary: Mrs D complained DWP wrongly reduced her State Pension after her husband died, changed her entitlement without option, and failed to disclose that SP reduces upon a spouse's death.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-002290)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Pensions
AI summary: Mr A complained DWP wrongly ended his Pension Credit claim in 2018 due to a lodger, causing him financial and health problems.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-002191)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Pensions
None
AI summary: Mr X complained the DWP poorly managed an investigation into third-party fraud using his details and did not provide enough information to prevent future false applications. He also complained about ICE's delay.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-003887)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
None
AI summary: Mr and Dr A complained DWP did not adequately support them with Carer’s Allowance, Attendance Allowance, and Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI), ignoring requests and causing stress.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-002015)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Employment and low income benefits
AI summary: Mr W complained DWP failed to inform him that claiming Universal Credit would automatically stop his Working Tax Credit, causing a significant income drop and distress.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-001889)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Employment and low income benefits
AI summary: Mr I complained DWP wrongly decided in 2013 he was ineligible for past Jobseeker's Allowance, causing him to be prosecuted for fraud and experience stress.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-001853)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Employment and low income benefits
Employment and low income benefits
Employment and low income benefits
Complaint handling
AI summary: Mrs X complained on behalf of her vulnerable daughter that DWP processed fraudulent Universal Credit claims, demanded repayment despite her daughter being a victim, and provided poor communication.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-001912)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Benefits for families and death benefits
AI summary: Mr A complained DWP incorrectly sanctioned him and underpaid benefits between 2018-2019, causing financial hardship. He felt DWP's compensation offer was insufficient.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-001706)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Employment and low income benefits
None
AI summary: DWP wrongly applied sanctions to Mr U's Universal Credit claim, causing financial hardship. He also complained about rude staff during an appointment.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-001847)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Complaint handling
AI summary: DWP refused to reimburse legal fees for a judicial review and did not adequately compensate Mr R for distress caused by unaddressed mandatory reconsideration requests over five years.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-001707)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Employment and low income benefits
Carers and disability benefits
AI summary: DWP incorrectly claimed an overpayment and handled Mr B's contact about his PIP application poorly, including rude staff and insufficient time for evidence.
Department for Work and Pensions (P-001658)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Business and regulation
Business and regulation
AI summary: DWP mismanaged her Access to Work application, giving incorrect advice about equipment and causing a long delay in providing a suitable chair, leading to lost income and mental health issues.
Department for Work & Pensions (P-001398)
UK Government
Partly Upheld
None
AI summary: Mrs O complained DWP failed to consider her terminally ill husband's health when pursuing a Pension Credit overpayment and denied his appeal rights. She also suffered stress from debt management.
Department for Work & Pensions (P-001405)
UK Government
Closed After Initial Enquiries
Benefits for families and death benefits
AI summary: Mr N complained DWP provided incorrect information leading to an incorrect Universal Credit award and failed to fully investigate his concerns, causing stress and financial hardship.
Department for Work & Pensions (P-001369)
UK Government
Partly Upheld
Complaint handling
Complaint handling
AI summary: Mrs R complained the DWP delayed providing information to recover her State Pension payment and that the ICE's decision on her complaint was flawed, causing financial loss and distress.
Department for Work & Pensions (P-001325)
UK Government
Upheld
None
AI summary: Mr A complained DWP failed to process his Income Support applications after stopping his benefits, prolonging financial hardship and causing credit card debt interest.
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.