That may seem like an obvious statement, but following recent events, we feel it’s necessary to clarify that quilter-claims.co.uk (“Quilter Claims”) is a website owned and operated by HT Legal Ltd. We are an independent firm of solicitors specialising in financial services claims relating to pensions, investments, ISAs and financial advice.
We launched Quilter Claims in 2024 after coverage in the financial services press revealed that Quilter Financial Planning Ltd, the UK financial advice arm of Quilter plc (formerly Old Mutual Wealth), was subject to an independent review due to failings in the oversight of its UK network of independent financial advisers.
Since then, the review has concluded and the issues identified include:
- Charging for Undelivered Services
Quilter was found to have charged clients ongoing advice fees without delivering the corresponding services, such as annual reviews. In response, Quilter has set aside £76 million to refund affected clients, covering refunds, interest and administrative costs. - Unnecessary Pension Transfers
Quilter’s subsidiary, Lighthouse Advisory Services, was censured by the FCA for providing unsuitable advice, including to members of the British Steel Pension Scheme. This led to unnecessary pension transfers. Quilter has paid approximately £23.17 million in redress to affected clients. - Limited Advice Options
In some cases, clients were offered limited investment options that may not have aligned with their individual financial goals and risk profiles.
Why might you have a claim against Quilter?
- You paid for ongoing advice services, such as annual reviews, which were not delivered.
- You received unsuitable advice, including being advised to transfer out of a defined benefit pension scheme.
- You were offered investment options that did not suit your objectives or risk tolerance.
It’s important to note that if you are a client of Quilter Financial Planning, you can raise a complaint directly with Quilter, you are not required to appoint a solicitor. However, we have received many enquiries via Quilter Claims from UK consumers who believed they had a valid complaint against Quilter, but in most cases, it was not Quilter at fault. Instead, the issue often involved another regulated company, such as an independent financial adviser, who had introduced the business to Quilter Investment Platform Ltd (Quilter’s platform arm).
This is exactly why we created Quilter Claims. When it comes to complex claims involving pensions and investments, it can be difficult, especially without a background in financial services, to understand who is responsible and how to go about making a complaint.
The staff at firms like Quilter Investment Platform cannot advise you on whether or how to bring a claim, nor can they tell you who your complaint should be directed to, they simply do not have the regulatory permissions to do so. Their hands are tied.
So, we set up Quilter Claims to offer help to those who want it, supporting people through the process on a no win, no fee basis.
Our Process
Step 1 – Make an Enquiry
We investigate whether Quilter is involved and identify any other parties who may be responsible.
Step 2 – Research
If you proceed with our no win, no fee service, we’ll gather evidence, contact the relevant parties and assess how much your claim may be worth.
Step 3 – Submission, Redress or Compensation
Once we have the facts, we’ll submit your complaint to the appropriate firm and, if needed, escalate it to the Financial Ombudsman Service or take legal action through the courts.
No Risk
Our aim is to make the process as smooth and stress free as possible. If your claim is not upheld, you won’t owe us a penny, but you’ll have peace of mind that you did all you could.
So, why the clarification that HT Legal Ltd is not Quilter plc?
In December 2024, we received a letter from Quilter’s solicitors raising the following concerns:
- Use of the “Quilter” Trademark
Quilter argued that our use of “Quilter” in the domain name was an infringement of their trademark and risked damaging their brand.Our position is simple, Quilter Claims is a descriptive domain name, used to help identify the nature of the claims services we provide. It is not intended to imply any affiliation, endorsement or economic link with Quilter plc.We believe our use falls under the descriptive use exception in trademark law and that we have taken reasonable steps to clearly distinguish HT Legal’s services from the Quilter brand. - Likelihood of Confusion
Quilter expressed concern that visitors to the site could wrongly assume it is affiliated with them.We believe the content and context of our website make it clear that we are not associated with Quilter. The site exists to help people understand whether they may have a complaint involving Quilter, and we make clear that our firm is independent. - Goodwill and Reputation
We fully acknowledge that Quilter is a major brand in UK financial services. Our aim is not to damage its reputation or benefit unfairly from its goodwill. This site exists to help UK consumers understand their rights and navigate complex complaints, and in many cases, the outcome has been that Quilter is not at fault.
Current Status (as of 16 April 2025)
Although we have several Quilter-related matters under investigation, we have not yet submitted a single complaint directly against Quilter plc or its subsidiaries. Instead, the majority of successful claims to date have been against other regulated financial advisers and pension providers, based on enquiries generated through the Quilter Claims site.
We are not limited to the Quilter claims website; we also operate a comprehensive and information-rich platform called Claim My Loss, dedicated to providing guidance, assistance, and support across a variety of claim types and companies. Our goal is to empower users who feel they have limited options or whose concerns have not been adequately addressed by the companies they’ve engaged with.
Actions We Have Taken
- Website Under Review: We temporarily took the website offline to review and update the content, reinforcing that HT Legal Ltd is not affiliated with Quilter plc.
- Disclaimers: A clear disclaimer now appears on every page of the site, making our independence from Quilter explicit.
Your Feedback Matters
If you feel anything on the website is unclear, particularly regarding our independence from Quilter plc, please email us directly at fsclaims@htlegal.co.uk.