All Pensions Ombudsman articles – Page 6
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News
Field: Bring GAD information within ombudsman remit
The chair of the Work and Pensions Committee, Frank Field, wants to see the government bring forward measures to ensure information provided by the Government Actuary's Department to individuals is within the remit of an ombudsman.
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News
TPAS dispute function to be absorbed by ombudsman
The dispute resolution function of the Pensions Advisory Service is to move to The Pensions Ombudsman, in a bid to simplify the process for savers who are dissatisfied with their scheme's service.
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News
Pensions Ombudsman investigates transfer complaints
The Pensions Ombudsman is investigating a group of over 150 complaints surrounding transfer values relating to the British Steel Pension Scheme. It will soon carry out another investigation over member complaints about early retirement factors.
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News
TPR gets stronger, the government weaker: Top 5 law and regulation stories from 2017
Year in review: If the UK government’s all-consuming struggle to strike a beneficial Brexit deal can bring any relief to pensions professionals, it is that departments have not had time for the pensions tinkering so despised by the industry.
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NewsFujitsu could see more strikes in jobs and pensions dispute
Union Unite is preparing to reballot employees at ICT company Fujitsu on strike action, in a long-running dispute that – among other things – involves a change to the ICL defined benefit section’s late retirement factor.
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OpinionHave we finally got a handle on scams?
Phoenix Life’s Danny Dowd says government must lay the statutory framework to allow pensions providers to take a tougher stand on scammers, including an expanded cold-contact ban and revisiting of transfer rights.
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Opinion
In numbers: TPR, ombudsman, Nest
From the blog: Monday saw the Pensions Regulator, the Pensions Ombudsman and Nest all issue their annual reports, so what were the key figures they revealed?
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News
Pressure grows to provide pre-1997 inflation-proofing
Pensions minister Richard Harrington has demanded that the chief executives of companies including Hewlett Packard Enterprise and 3M explain their refusal to grant discretionary increases to members with benefits accrued before 1997.
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News
Ombudsman ruling highlights need for member understanding
The Pensions Ombudsman has sided with technology company Honeywell after a member of one of its pension schemes complained it had caused him to pay more tax than necessary.
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Opinion
Pensions Ombudsman set to cast interventional net wider
From the blog: Last week the Pensions Ombudsman said the agency would begin taking a more proactive approach to interventions, especially in appeals that can have broader implications for the pensions industry – a departure from its previously more placatory tone.
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News
Uptick in scams prompts call for tighter regulation
A recent increase in reports of suspected pension scams has been called “the tip of the iceberg”, as experts said tighter legislation would help schemes ensure their members do not lose hard-earned retirement savings.
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OpinionScams: What trustees can do to avoid members becoming victims
Trustees are, in fact, indirect victims of scams, so action to protect members is more often than not action that also helps themselves.
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OpinionLatest ombudsman decisions – and what trustees can learn from them
Dominic Harris and Keeley Frampton from law firm CMS Cameron McKenna summarise and interpret recent cases from the High Court and pensions ombudsman that schemes and employers can learn from.
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News
High Court ruling ramps up fears over pension liberation
The High Court has ruled against insurer Royal London for blocking a pension transfer where it suspected the receiving fund could be a pensions liberation scheme, prompting industry observers to raise concerns about protections for members, providers and trustees.
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NewsOmbudsman ill-health decision underscores complexity for members
Schemes have been urged to maintain open channels of communication with employers and members around ill-health benefits after an ombudsman determination ruled against a member’s attempt to "rewrite history".
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Opinion
We have the ombudsman cases we wanted – but they provide cold comfort
When the pensions ombudsman published its first determination on a pensions liberation case late last year, I blogged that the key cases for schemes would be where trustees had blocked suspect transfers. The first few of those have now been made public.
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NewsOmbudsman's RBS ruling builds pressure on scheme comms
Pension schemes have been encouraged to increase the pre-retirement education given to scheme members, after the pensions ombudsman found the RBS Group Pension Fund “failed in [its] duty of care" to one member.
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Opinion
Ombudsman needs to stop stalling and release liberation decisions
Editor's blog: Another month, another delay from the pensions ombudsman on releasing decisions on its pile of pensions liberation cases – decisions that could help scheme representatives facing extremely difficult choices on suspect pensions transfers.
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News
Ombudsman: pension liberation reports expected in a ‘few weeks’
The pensions ombudsman has said it should be publishing determinations on pension liberation cases within the next few weeks, with trustees hoping the reports will help them on difficult transfer decisions.
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News
Provider's failed attempt to reclaim death benefit sets rectification warning
Schemes have been reminded they cannot simply revoke decisions if a mistake has been made, after the pensions ombudsman ruled against a scheme provider that tried to claw back death benefit payments.