Frequently asked questions.

The Ombudsman only deals with complaints about occupational and personal pension schemes. The Pensions Advisory Service (TPAS) can help you to try and resolve your complaint. The contact details for TPAS can be found in our links section.

Yes. You need to write to those involved and ask them to respond to your complaint. If your complaint is against the trustees or managers of an occupational pension scheme you need to ask them to deal with your complaint under the scheme’s internal dispute resolution procedure (IDRP). The scheme’s administrator should be able to give you details of the IDRP. (See Before you complain to us.)

You should also approach the Pensions Advisory Service (TPAS) who can help you to try and resolve your complaint. The contact details for TPAS can be found in our links section.

If you have not already done so you should approach the Pensions Advisory Service (TPAS) who might be able to obtain a response for you. The contact details for TPAS can be found in our links section.
If they are also unable to then you can bring your complaint and we will let you know if we can take it forward.

Because we need to be impartial, we cannot tell you whether your complaint may be upheld when you first contact us. We will need to investigate it first. Therefore, we cannot say whether you should or should not bring your complaint to us. The Pensions Advisory Service may be able to give you advice on this and other pension related matters. Their contact details can be found in our links section.

Nothing, our service is free. If you incur costs, for example if you engage a solicitor, the ombudsman rarely awards costs because the way we work means that people do not usually need to be represented.

Yes. Complaints should be brought within three years of the events complained about. If you were not aware of the events when they occurred, the complaint should be brought within three years of when you became aware of them (or ought to have become aware of them). In limited circumstances we can investigate complaints that were not brought within the three year period.

If we are not the correct Ombudsman to deal with your complaint, we will try to let you know who the correct one is. If there is some other reason why we cannot investigate it, we will explain why and let you know what your rights of appeal are.

The Ombudsman does not generally speak to complainants or respondents personally, for practical reasons.  However you will be able to speak to the investigator who is dealing with your complaint

Most of the work we do is carried out by correspondence. In a small number of cases the Ombudsman will ask to see you and/or the other parties. You can ask for a meeting but it will be for the Ombudsman to decide whether one needs to be held. This will usually be where there are conflicts of evidence which the Ombudsman thinks a hearing will help to resolve.

Because of the complexity of some complaints and the steps involved, some investigations take longer than others with a few taking longer than a year. Please be patient.

If the Ombudsman determines your complaint, his decision is final and binding on all parties. If you are unhappy with it and want to take it further, then you will need to appeal to the High Court in England and Wales , the Court of Session in Scotland or the Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland. Please be aware that any appeal must be on a point of law and that there are quite short time limits inside which appeals have to be made.

The Ombudsman has no power to enforce his decisions. If the respondent has not carried out the Ombudsman’s directions you can approach the County Court to ask for them to be enforced.