Innospec Limited Pension Plan (PO-29382)

Ombudsman’s Determination

Outcome

I do not uphold Mr N’s complaint and no further action is required by the Trustees.

Complaint summary

Mr N has complained that: 

• Prior to his transfer of pension rights from the Interox Pension Scheme (the Interox Scheme) to the Plan in 1997, he was shown information which led him to believe that the Trustees had “crystallised” their discretionary pension increase practice in favour of applying the Retail Price Index (RPI) to pensions in payment. Mr N says that he transferred his benefits based on this understanding and that his pension in the Plan, payable since 2016, should therefore be increased annually by reference to the RPI and not the Consumer Price Index (CPI) (the RPI/CPI complaint).
• The Trustees did not include the Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs) he made into the Interox Scheme in their calculation of the pensionable service credit available to him in the Plan. He should consequently receive benefits for these AVCs on top of those agreed with the Trustees at the time of the transfer in 1997 (the AVC complaint).
• The Trustees have improperly refused to provide him with the Plan information which he requested in 2016 and 2017 (the disclosure complaint).