Admiral Pest Management Ltd (1996) Retirement Benefits Scheme (PO-5645)

Ombudsman’s Determination

Complaint Summary

Mr Y has complained that Friends Life failed to contact him in a timely manner to implement a Pension Sharing Order (the PSO) and then implemented that order incorrectly. Friends Life also ignored his various complaints.

Summary of the Ombudsman’s Determination and reasons

The complaint should not be upheld against Friends Life because:-

• The Managing Trustees were jointly responsible for implementation of the PSO. Friends Life required information from the Managing Trustees which they requested numerous times between 2006 and 2010, but were not provided with it until March 2010.
• Friends Life then promptly calculated the pension credit, and provided discharge notices, in reliance on information provided by the Managing Trustees.
• Friends Life did not ignore Mr Y, but they did fail to treat his concerns as a formal complaint sufficiently promptly. Friends Life have offered Mr Y £100 and I do not consider that an increased award is warranted.