Telephone0800 526 249

Help & support

We’re here to help

Phone
Call us
0800 526 249
Phone
Send us an email
[email protected]
Phone
Write to us
Shepherds Friendly,
Haw Bank House, High Street,
Cheadle, Cheshire, SK8 1AL

Need a helping hand?

Please fill in the contact form below and we’ll be in touch


Opening hours

Monday8.00am – 6.00pm
Tuesday8.00am – 6.00pm
Wednesday8.00am – 6.00pm
Thursday8.00am – 6.00pm
Friday8.00am – 4.00pm
SaturdayClosed
SundayClosed
Our office is closed on public holidays.

Please be advised that outbound calls from our Member Services team may be made from 0161 428 1212.

Supporting vulnerable members

Ensuring fairness is simply part of what we do and we’re proud to have such a varied membership. We understand that each member has different needs and that circumstances can change. If you need any additional support from us, simply contact our Member Services team and we’ll do what we can to assist you. We’re here to help with zero judgment and you will always be treated as an individual.

Additional support if you need it:

Specialist help is available, and we encourage you to seek additional support and advice if you are struggling. Here is a selection of organisations offering help.

Making a claim

Income Protection claims

When you’re off work due to illness or injury, we understand the value of an efficient and quick claim decision. You can make a claim using our online form.

Over 50s Life Insurance claims

To make a claim with us, simply fill out our online claim form and send us any supporting documents – we’ll take care of the rest.

Our Member Services Team are always happy to help.
If you have any questions, you can call them on 0800 526 249.

Making a complaint

We value our members and take any complaint very seriously. We view a complaint as an opportunity to identify how we can improve the service we provide to our members.

When things go wrong

If you are reading this and you have a complaint, something may have gone wrong. 

Each complaint is investigated thoroughly and fairly, so our members can receive a full and considered response. If you do need to make a complaint with us, here is some more information about how to do this and what you should expect.   

How to make a complaint

In the first instance, please get in touch and let us know what has happened by telling us:

  • Exactly what has gone wrong, and how and when it happened
  • Your name, address, and contact phone number
  • Your plan details (if applicable)
  • What you would like us to do to put things right
How to contact us

Telephone:
If you would like to get in
touch by telephone, please call 0800 526 249

Email:
If you would like to get in touch by email, you can send all your details to [email protected]

Post:
If you would like to make a complaint in writing, please send a letter to us at:

Member Complaints:
Shepherds Friendly Society,
Haw Bank House, High Street,
Cheadle, Cheshire SK8 1AL

What can I expect if I complain?

We may be able to resolve your complaint straight away. If not, we will send you a letter acknowledging your complaint within 5 working days of receiving it. In this letter we’ll summarise your complaint so you can check we have understood it correctly and we will give you a complaint reference number to quote, so we can always find your information quickly when you contact us.

We would expect to complete our investigation within eight weeks of receiving your complaint. If we cannot do this, we will get in touch with you by letter or email explaining the reason for the delay.

If you are not satisfied with the reason for the delay, you can refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. When we update you at this stage we will enclose a leaflet explaining how to do this.

When we have completed our investigation of your complaint we will write to you to provide our final response. This will be a detailed letter that outlines what we found, what we plan to do as a result, and why we arrived at our decision.

What do I do if I am still unhappy?

If you’re not satisfied with how we have dealt with your complaint or you are not happy with the decision we’ve taken and wish to take it further, you can ask the Financial Ombudsman Service to look into your complaint for you. This is a free independent service for resolving disputes between customers and financial services institutions.

You can find out more on their website or by calling them on
0800 023 4567.

The Financial Ombudsman & The European Commission Online Dispute Resolution Platform

The Financial Ombudsman is a free service that looks into disputes between insurance companies and their customers. You can find out more or contact them directly using one of the links below. You have six months from the date of our final response letter to refer your complaint to them.

The European Commission also provides an on-line dispute resolution (ODR) platform which allows consumers to submit their complaint through a central site which will forward the complaint to the right Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme. In relation to Shepherds Friendly Society, this is Financial Ombudsman Service and you can go to them directly as shown in the contact details above. For more information about ODR please visit their website http://ec.europa.eu/odr

Contact the Ombudsman

Website:
www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk

Email:
[email protected]

Post:
The Financial Ombudsman Service,
Exchange Tower, London, E14 9SR

Telephone:
0800 023 4567 or 0300 123 9123

Read more

Frequently asked questions

Children’s
savings

View FAQs
View FAQs

Adult
savings

View FAQs
View FAQs

Income
Protection

View FAQs
View FAQs

Over 50s
Life Insurance

View FAQs
View FAQs

Media Enquiries

Media requests and enquiries from journalists can be raised with our Communications team via email [email protected]

Our Communications team is available from Monday to Thursday, 9am to 5pm and Friday 9am to 4pm.

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