Making a complaint against the Insolvency Service

How to make a complaint against the Insolvency Service

Our aim is to provide a professional, fair, efficient, courteous and helpful service to all our users, whether creditors, insolvency practitioners, bankrupts, directors, redundant employees or indeed anyone with whom we have any dealings.

If you are not satisfied with our service, or if you have encountered any other problem, please let us know so that immediate steps can be taken to put matters right. We can guarantee that there will be a full and fair investigation of your complaint and you will be told what is happening. If a mistake has been made, we will apologise and try to put it right immediately. You can make your complaint either by telephone or by writing to the office.

In most cases it will be possible to sort problems out informally and quickly by contacting the person you have been dealing with or his or her immediate supervisor. This is usually the best way to resolve problems or minor differences of opinion, which have arisen.

Customer Relations Officer

If you are not satisfied with the answer you receive or if you feel that insufficient action is taken to deal with the problem you can, if you wish, make a formal complaint in writing.

You should contact the Customer Relations Officer at:

Telephone: 028 9054 8531
Email: insolvency@economy-ni.gov.uk

The Customer Relations Officer will investigate your complaint and will give you a full reply within 10 working days; if that is not possible he/she will issue a letter to you explaining why and stating when he/she will send a full reply.

Director of Insolvency Service

If you are not satisfied with the response of the Customer Relations Officer, you should write to the Director of the Insolvency Service:

Telephone: 028 9054 8531
Email: insolvency@economy-ni.gov.uk

He will call for a full report on your complaint to make sure that you were dealt with according to our standards of service. He will give a full reply to your complaint within 10 working days; if that is not possible, he will issue a letter to you explaining why and stating when he will send a full reply.

In all cases your complaint will be:

• acknowledged within 2 working days
• investigated thoroughly
• treated confidentially

Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman

If you remain dissatisfied you can refer your complaint to the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman. If you do wish to make a complaint, this should be done within 6 months.

The Ombudsman can only enquire into the administrative functions undertaken by our staff in their dealings with you; he cannot investigate how a decision was made in a bankruptcy or liquidation, as this would be a matter to be determined by the High Court.

You may contact the Ombudsman at:

Freepost NIPSO or

Telephone: 028 9023 3821 or Freephone: 0800 343 424
Text Phone: 028 9089 7789 
Email: nipso@nipso.org.uk

or by calling, between 9.00 am & 5.00 pm, Monday to Friday at the above address.

General control by the court

If you are a bankrupt, company director, creditor or if you have been affected by a decision made by the Official Receiver in relation to a bankruptcy or compulsory liquidation, you may apply to the High Court for a review of this decision.

Applications should be addressed to: