Service Complaint Appeal Letter: Free Template and What to Include

An appeal must be made in writing, on the appeal form on the My Complaint app or the form at Annex G of JSP 831, within 2 weeks of receiving the decision. Use the free tool below to draft your grounds, then put them on the form. Below is what your appeal must include.

What your appeal must cover

• The original service complaint and the decision you are appealing against
• Which of the 3 grounds of appeal you rely on, and why: a material procedural error, a material error about the facts, or new evidence
• For new evidence: why it was not available, and could not have been made available with reasonable diligence, before the decision, and why the decision would probably have been materially different with it
• If your appeal is late, why

How the Service Complaints appeal process works

You can appeal within 2 weeks beginning with the day you received the decision. A decision is treated as received on the second day after it was posted, sent electronically or delivered. Send the appeal to your Single Service Secretariat, which decides whether it can be considered. A late appeal goes ahead only if it is allowed as just and equitable.

An appeal must identify what was wrong with the decision or the process; it is not a re-run of your original complaint. If your complaint involves bullying, harassment, discrimination, dishonesty or biased behaviour, the appeal body includes an external independent member.

If you are told your appeal cannot be considered, you can ask the Armed Forces Commissioner to review that decision within 4 weeks. If the decision on your complaint was made by the Defence Council itself, there is no appeal: you can ask the Commissioner to investigate instead.

What makes an appeal stronger

• Point to specific evidence that was not properly considered, or a specific step in the process that went wrong, rather than just disagreeing with the conclusion
• Keep the tone factual and measured; appeals are assessed on their merits, not their intensity

Common mistakes

• Missing the 2-week deadline: it is short, so start as soon as you receive the decision
• Appealing on grounds that are not allowed: an appeal has to fit one of the 3 grounds above

Frequently Asked Questions

What if the appeal is also rejected?
After the decision on your appeal you can ask the Armed Forces Commissioner to investigate. The Commissioner replaced the Service Complaints Ombudsman for the Armed Forces (SCOAF) on 1 April 2026: afcommissioner.org.uk. Ask the Commissioner about the time limit for this.

Can I get support with an appeal?
Yes. An assisting officer can help you set out your appeal, go to interviews and meetings with you, and help you prepare responses. You can choose one, or your unit HR team can find one for you.

See our full list of letter guides for related letters.

[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Your Postcode]
[Your Service Number]
[Your Rank]
[Single Service Secretariat for your Service]
[Recipient's Address]
[Recipient's Postcode]
[Date - send within 2 weeks of receiving the decision]

[Put this wording on the form at Annex G of JSP 831, or in the My Complaint app.]

Dear [Name of Recipient or "Sir/Madam"],

Subject: Service Complaint Appeal — Reference: [Your Complaint Reference Number]

I am appealing the decision made on [Date of decision] on my Service Complaint, which I made on [Date of your original complaint].

I rely on the following ground(s) of appeal:
• [A material procedural error: e.g. The investigating officer did not interview a key witness, [Rank and Name], although I asked for this.]
• [A material error about the facts: e.g. The decision says I did not report the matter until March, but I reported it on [date], as my email shows.]
• [New evidence: e.g. A statement from [name] dated [date]. It was not available before the decision because [reason], and with it the decision would probably have been materially different because [reason].]

[If your appeal is late: My appeal is late because [your reason].]

Please acknowledge receipt of this appeal and tell me the next steps.

Yours sincerely,

[Your Signature]
[Your Printed Name]