Due to a significant and sustained increase in demand for our service, some cases requiring more detailed consideration may take beyond 9 months to be allocated to a Complaints Reviewer.
Not all complaints are affected. Currently around 70% of cases are being decided within 13 weeks of receipt with 80% of cases received decided within 26 weeks and 97% within 52 weeks.
We actively prioritise cases for allocation and investigation where
- the person affected is vulnerable
- the matter is urgent and ongoing, or
- there is significant public interest
If a complaint is not one we can look into, we will tell you as soon as we can.
We ask people to tell us if their circumstances change so that we can review the priority. Likewise, if their circumstances change and they no longer wish to pursue a complaint, please let us know.
There are no delays in allocating reviews for the Scottish Welfare Fund or the Independent National Whistleblowing Officer.
Please see below for further details
Why are cases taking longer than before?
We are experiencing significant year-on-year increases in public service complaints and high demand for our service.
- In 2025-26, complaints increased by 31% compared with the previous year.
- Complaint numbers have more than doubled since 2019–20.
We are working hard to ensure we have the resources we need to manage this demand. However, allocation times for some non‑priority complaints may continue to increase if complaint numbers keep rising.
We will update this page if timescales change.
Please be assured, we continue to manage this demand carefully.
What happens when the SPSO receives a complaint?
We assess each complaint to identify whether it should be prioritised for consideration, or whether it can be resolved or handled quickly.
We prioritise cases where
- the complainant (or person affected) is vulnerable
- the matter is urgent and ongoing, or
- there is a significant public interest
Complaints that are not prioritised are held until they can be allocated to a Complaints Reviewer.
We tell people about delays and encourage them to contact us if their circumstances change or if they believe their complaint should be treated as a priority.
What are we doing to reduce waiting times?
We are continuously working to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the services we provide.
- In 2025-26, we closed 17% more cases than the previous year.
- Our overall output has increased by 48% since 2019-20.
We will continue to focus on resolving cases as quickly as possible to help bring waiting times down.
More information about our performance can be found in our Annual Report and Accounts.
We know waiting can be difficult, and we appreciate your patience while we work to deal with complaints as quickly and fairly as possible.