Pensions Ombudsman

Overview

The Pensions Ombudsman is the statutory dispute resolution service for complaints about workplace and personal pensions in the UK. Its determinations are binding (subject to a right of appeal to the High Court on a point of law). It investigates maladministration by trustees, scheme administrators, and providers, and disputes of fact or law about pension benefits.

What it handles

• Workplace and personal pension complaints
• Pension transfer and freedom complaints
• State pension forecast disputes (via DWP-related routes)
• Auto-enrolment disputes

Process

1. Step 1: Review

   TPO first checks that the complaint is valid, then reviews it in more detail; it may ask the other party to respond and can resolve straightforward complaints at this stage or make a jurisdiction decision.

2. Step 2: Informal resolution

   A specialist caseworker reviews the case and works with both sides to try to reach a resolution through discussion and explanation; if anyone disagrees, the complaint moves to a formal investigation.

3. Step 3: Formal investigation

   TPO's Adjudication team formally investigates, assessing the case against legal principles including case law, pension scheme rules and legislation, sharing information with everyone involved before issuing a written decision.

4. Step 4: Determination

   If anyone disagrees with the written decision, an Ombudsman reviews the case and issues a final Determination, which can only be challenged by appealing to the courts on a point of law.

Official sources