How to make a complaint
© Office of the Ombudsman, 2019
Before you make a complaint to us
If you are complaining about an action or decision by an agency, you should try to resolve your complaint with them first. We are likely to ask you to do this before we consider your complaint.
When you complain to an agency, follow their complaint process. If they don’t have a complaint process, write to the head of the agency, such as the chief executive or chairperson. You can also read our tips for resolving a problem with a government agency.
Tips for resolving a complaint with a government agency
After you have complained to the agency, if you are not happy with their response, you can make a complaint to us.
When you might not need to complain to the agency first
If you’re complaining about a delay or decision on a request for official information, you may not need to complain to the agency first.
You can also come to us directly if you are a child/tamaiti or a young person/rangatahi (or a trusted adult contacting us on their behalf).
Complaining for someone else
You can complain on behalf of someone else if you have written authorisation. You can write your own consent or use our downloadable template. Include any important information that supports the person you are helping.
How to send your complaint
Complaints are made using our online complaint forms. Our forms will guide you to provide us with everything we need to assess your complaint.
You can also submit a complaint by post. Make sure you include:
- A copy of your complaint or request to the agency
- The agency’s response or decision (if you have one)
- A clear explanation of what happened
- Why you disagree
- The outcome you want
Without this information, your complaint will be delayed while we contact you to get this information.
You can send this to:
Office of the Ombudsman
Freepost
PO Box 10152
Wellington 6140
See our Contact page if you would like to speak to someone about our complaint process.