Deborah Evans, Chair, reflects on her first month at TPO

In her first blog, Deborah Evans, TPO’s newly appointed Chair, sets out her thoughts on joining the organisation at such a pivotal time:

Pensions are vital to enable people to plan an adequate income in retirement. Auto enrolment has increased the number of people saving for the future and new pension freedoms and transfers have given people more choice over their pension pots, although increasingly sophisticated scams continue to pose a threat to people’s lifetime savings. 

The Pensions Ombudsman (TPO) provides an essential public service resolving issues with personal and occupational pensions, impartially and free at the point of delivery. I am delighted to have the opportunity to lead the organisation as it embarks on its ambitious programme of change. 

I may only have been in post one month, but it has been an extremely important one. In addition to the standard induction procedures, getting to know the Executive and beginning stakeholder engagement, July has also seen the publication of our:

• Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25 detailing our impressive performance over the last year
• new three-year Corporate Strategy 2025-2028 outlining our roadmap for the next three years
• Corporate Plan 2025/26 focusing on our priorities for this current year.

The Annual Report has been very valuable in helping me get a better understanding of TPO’s many achievements during a year of strengthened service delivery, innovation and collaboration. The far-reaching Operating Model Review (OMR) programme has been instrumental in helping us close a record number of cases over the year – 42% more than in 2023/24. TPO’s commitment to resolving issues as early as possible in the process without compromising on quality has delivered outcomes for thousands of individuals navigating complex pension concerns. The dedication and professionalism of the TPO team are evident in every page of this report.

Over the last few years, TPO has faced ever-increasing demand for its vital service that funding has failed to keep pace with. To meet these challenges along with an historical caseload, TPO knew that it had to act and did so quickly with its OMR programme. As impressive as last year’s performance is, we know that there is still more to do to reduce waiting times for its customers, especially as the number of new applications in 2024/25 reached 9,610 – that is a massive 39% increase compared to 2023/24 and is 21% higher than TPO forecast. 

To achieve our vision to be a people-focused ombudsman, trusted to deliver quality outcomes and drive improvements across the wider pensions industry our new Corporate Strategy outlines a roadmap for the next three years that will enable us to meet our strategic goals of:

• Providing an efficient, accessible and quality service.
• Being an authoritative voice for improvement in the pensions industry.

With clear areas of focus for each goal and measurable outcomes, we know what success will look like over the period of the Strategy, it will bring a strong focus on smarter working practices, accessibility for all users, and develop a workforce supported by technological and process innovation. 

Collaboration is key. TPO will continue to focus on working with the industry to drive down the number of complaints that could either have been resolved earlier under a scheme’s internal dispute process or that would be better placed to be investigated by a different organisation such as the Information Commissioner’s Office. By sharing guidance and good practice, TPO aims to raise dispute resolution standards across the sector, and, as Chair of the Board, we fully support this approach. 

Building on the success of the first year of our OMR programme, TPO has identified further efficiencies that will help resolve customer’s issues as early as possible in the process and will continue to test and trial new ideas before implementing them on a wider scale.

As Chair, I am committed to this agile approach that will enable us to shape and respond to change in a timely manner. Our priorities for the current year, along with updated key performance indicators, can be found in the Corporate Plan 2025/26. I, along with my fellow Board members, look forward to supporting the Senior Leadership Team to realise their ambitions for the organisation.