On the go: The Department for Work and Pensions has extended the term of Anthony Arter as Pensions Ombudsman for another year.
In a letter to Work and Pensions Committee chair Stephen Timms, published on Friday, pensions minister Guy Opperman stated that Arter’s term will be extended for a period of 12 months from August 1 2021.
This is due to the fact that “following interviews, no candidates have been identified as appointable”, he stated.
The Work and Pensions Committee held a pre-appointment hearing with a candidate, but the application was not successful, Opperman added.
The DWP announced in February that it was looking to appoint a new Pensions Ombudsman and Pension Protection Fund Ombudsman, since Arter’s appointment would come to an end on July 31.
During Arter’s tenure, the Pensions Ombudsman has undergone significant growth in recent years and taken on new responsibilities, such as absorbing the dispute resolution function of the Pensions Advisory Service.
