NHS Pension Scheme (PO-4546)

Complaint summary

Miss Khatra has complained that she should receive compensation for a loss of income connected to:

• maladministration of her added years contributions;
• receipt of an incorrect estimate of retirement benefits upon which she based her decision to retire; and
• a delay in paying her benefits.

Summary of the Ombudsman’s determination and reasons

The complaint should be partly upheld against CNWL, to the extent that they compensate Miss Khatra for the distress and inconvenience caused by their maladministration.

CNWL:

• deducted added years contributions without a valid contract;
• recorded the additional contributions incorrectly, thereby causing NHS Pensions to issue an incorrect benefit estimate; and
• gave NHS Pension the wrong leaving date, which caused a delay in the payment of Miss Khatra’s benefits.
• The complaint is only partially upheld because it was unreasonable of Miss Khatra to have relied on the incorrect benefit estimate.