Swansea City & County Pension Fund (CAS-45793-J6Y3)

Ombudsman’s Determination

Outcome

The complaint is upheld because:

• The Council made a flawed decision by incorrectly interpreting Mr S' will (the Will).
• Furthermore, the Council did not make sufficient reasonable enquiries before deciding how the death grant should be distributed.
• This situation has caused Mrs S serious distress and inconvenience, for which she will receive an award.

Complaint summary

Mrs S' complaint concerns the Council's decision on the distribution of the death grant payable following the death of her husband, Mr S. She is unhappy that the Council decided to split the death grant equally between her and Mr S' three sons.