On the go: The Work and Pensions Committee has approved the appointment of CMS partner Dominic Harris as the next Pensions Ombudsman.
In a report published on July 18, the MPs said they were satisfied that Harris “has the personal independence and professional competence” to take on the role.
WPC chair Stephen Timms noted that Harris “impressed the committee with his grasp of detail and understanding of the challenges facing the Pensions Ombudsman”.
“It is vital that people can trust that any complaints and disputes about their pension schemes are handled in a fair and impartial way, and we are confident that Mr Harris has the right skills and independence to lead the organisation in this important task,” he said.
“We wish him every success in his new position and look forward to working with him.”
In a hearing with the committee on July 13, Harris said he would look to improve customer satisfaction and the backlog that the ombudsman is currently facing if appointed to the position.
Harris will replace Anthony Arter, who saw his term — which terminates on August 1 2022 — extended by one year in July 2021 after no suitable candidates had been found for the role.
Pensions Expert reported in February that the Department for Work and Pensions subsequently amended its hiring criteria for the role, removing the requirement that any candidate applying must be a legally qualified solicitor or barrister.
During Arter’s tenure, the Pensions Ombudsman has undergone significant growth and taken on new responsibilities, such as absorbing the dispute resolution function of the Pensions Advisory Service.
Besides being a partner in CMS’s pensions team, Harris also serves as chair of the Investment and Defined Contribution Committee of the Association of Pension Lawyers.
CMS head of pensions Mark Grant said: “We are very proud that Dominic [Harris] has been chosen for this prestigious role.
“It is the most important job in the pensions industry, in terms of ensuring that pension scheme members and their dependants have access to support and justice for free, in what can often be complex and stressful disputes.
“While we are sorry to see him leave the firm, he does so with our full support and we know he will make a great success of it.”
The role of Pensions Ombudsman is a public appointment made by the secretary of state for the DWP, and the position is a full-time role with an annual remuneration of £143,095, which is uprated annually.
