Consulting on its draft business plan and budget 2026–27, which closed responses this week, LeO proposed four potential budget increases including its recommended 12.1% boost.
Its other three proposals were for a 6.7%, 8.7% and 17.1% increase. It is also considering broader reforms including changes to its rules, as part of a Scheme Transformation Review.
LeO said it expects to resolve more than 10,000 complaints in the coming year, 57% more than in pre-pandemic years, and is under ‘serious pressure’ due to rising demand. It attributed the rise in complaints to ‘unacceptably high rates’ of ‘poor service’ in first-tier complaints handling, cost-of-living challenges prompting more people to complain, and generative artificial intelligence (AI) technology such as ChatGPT making it easier for people to lodge complaints.
Responding this week, however, the Law Society rejected LeO’s proposals.
Law Society president Mark Evans said: ‘It is particularly concerning that LeO is proposing to undertake additional work such as a Scheme Transformation Review while struggling to deliver its core statutory function of resolving complaints quickly.
‘We urge LeO to focus on operational efficiency, explore outsourcing and automation.’
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) said it accepts LeO’s recommended budget increase ‘with great reluctance and significant reservations’. The CLC said it has ‘ongoing concerns about operational efficiency and whether… LeO represents value for money’ but accepts that the increase is ‘necessary to avoid deterioration in service levels and turnaround times for consumers’.
