Why to keep paying
Complaints can take months to resolve (8 weeks at the lender, then several months at the Ombudsman if escalated).
Missed payments during this period generate defaults and credit file damage regardless of whether your complaint eventually succeeds.
If the complaint succeeds, you get compensated for the loan itself but not usually for the default marks you added during the complaint period.
If you cannot afford payments
Ask the lender to place the loan on hold pending complaint resolution. Some lenders do this voluntarily; others do not.
If the lender refuses and you cannot pay, request a payment plan (Time to Pay, DMP-style).
For very unaffordable loans, a formal debt solution can proceed alongside the complaint. The complaint continues even after the debt is included in a DRO or IVA — you can still get compensation.
Successful complaint outcomes
Compensation typically includes refund of interest and fees paid, credit file cleanup for the affected loans, and sometimes distress compensation.
If you are still paying, the compensation offsets what you have paid. If the loan has been paid off, you receive a cash refund.
If the loan is in a debt solution (DRO/IVA/bankruptcy), compensation may go to the insolvency estate depending on timing.
If the lender is defunct
Wonga, QuickQuid, Amigo administrators handle complaints on a different framework. Compensation is often lower and paid as a percentage of the claim value.
The Financial Services Compensation Scheme covers some cases too.