Check your rights as a mutual society member if you are suspended, removed, involved in a dispute or want a copy of the society's rules.
If you’re suspended or removed as a member
Check to see if your society has rules that:
- allow them to suspend or remove members
- outline when and how members can be removed
Resolving disputes
We can’t get involved in disputes within a society. If you have a dispute with your society, you can:
- appeal (if there’s an appeals process)
- propose a resolution
- try mediation or arbitration
- contact the larger organisation (if your society’s part of one)
- get independent legal advice
Accessing rules
Your society must give you a copy of the rules, free of charge, if you have not previously been given a copy. You may also find the registered rules for your society on the Mutuals Public Register[1].
If you have previously been given a copy of the rules, some co-operative and community benefit societies may charge a maximum of £5 for additional copies. Friendly societies are allowed to charge a ‘reasonable fee’.
Report a concern
If you think your society is breaching mutuals legislation, you can tell us[2].
We treat all information confidentially. We may, or may not, be able to act on your information. But we cannot tell you what, if anything, we intend to do with the information. Here’s more about how we treat information[3].