How and to whom you can report a concern about a mutual society.
If you are concerned about the way a mutual society is working, we may be able to help. We are the registering authority for mutual societies in the UK. If the mutual society is registered with us, it will be on the Mutuals Public Register[1].
Separately, we also regulate financial services firms authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA). These firms are on the Financial Services Register[2]. Most mutual societies are not authorised under FSMA because they don’t carry out regulated activity. But if the mutual society is on the Financial Services Register, find out how to make a complaint[3]. If not follow the steps below.
Step 1: Contact the mutual society directly to try and address your concerns with them. If you are a member of the society, you have certain rights[4].
Step 2: If you are not happy with their response and your concern is about a breach of mutuals legislation you can report it to us[5].
Step 3: We will then review your concerns before deciding what if any action to take.
Step 4: If we act, our actions may range from discussing issues with a society to exercising statutory powers including cancellation of registration. We will not usually provide you with an update[6] or share information about ongoing action.
Others who can help
If your concern is not about a breach of mutuals legislation, someone else may be better placed to help. We list common queries and who can help below.