Philenews

Financial Ombudsman: Acceptance Rate of Decisions at 52% in 2025

Published January 12, 2026, 15:16
Financial Ombudsman: Acceptance Rate of Decisions at 52% in 2025

A significant increase in the acceptance rate of the Financial Ombudsman's decisions was recorded in 2025, reaching 52% from approximately 20% in previous years. This was reported to the Parliamentary Committee on Finance by Valentina Georgiadou, as part of the discussion of the budget for 2026 of the Unified Out-of-Court Settlement of Financial Disputes. At the same time, there was an increase in the repayment of overcharges by banks and credit companies, with the amount reaching €430,000 in 2025, compared to €170,000 in 2023. In 2025, 377 consumer complaints were submitted, down from 500 in the previous year, while 437 requests were filed outside the jurisdiction, mainly related to foreclosures. Regarding foreclosures, out of 215 requests for suspension or cancellation, companies accepted the suspension in 107 cases, while the process continued in 89, of which 81 concerned primary residences with a value of approximately €350,000. The Financial Ombudsman stressed that the jurisdiction of the body in these cases is limited. In a discussion about the possibility of making the Ombudsman's decisions binding, Ms. Georgiadou did not reject it, but advocated a tiered model, with binding effect for decisions up to €10,000. The body's budget for 2026 has a deficit of €300,000, which will be covered by cash reserves.