Parliamentary Ombudsman does not uphold complaint of maladministration by the Pensions Regulator
29 June 2010
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, Ann Abraham, today published her decision not to uphold a complaint that the Pensions Regulator (the Regulator) failed to exercise its statutory functions properly and its discretion reasonably.
The Ombudsman investigated Mr L’s complaint that when the Regulator declined to impose a Financial Support Direction or Contribution Notice on the parent company of his former employer, he may have been prevented from receiving the level of pension he could otherwise have rightfully expected.
Summarising her findings, Ann Abraham said: “My investigation did not find maladministration in the Pensions Regulator’s handling of these matters. I am satisfied that the Pensions Regulator acted within its statutory powers and it did not exercise its discretion in an unreasonable way.”
Since the start of this investigation the Ombudsman has received a further ten complaints about the Regulator on these matters with referrals from MPs from more than one Party. Putting this report in the public domain enables the outcome of the Ombudsman’s investigation of Mr L’s complaint to be seen openly.
A report by the Parliamentary Ombudsman of an investigation of a complaint about the Pensions Regulator is available to download from the Ombudsman’s website.
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Download the press release 
(64kb)
Download the full report (212kb)
Notes for Editors
- Ann Abraham holds the post of UK Parliamentary Ombudsman and is also Health Service Ombudsman for England. She is appointed by the Crown and is completely independent of Government and the NHS. Her role is to provide a service to the public by undertaking independent investigations into complaints that government departments, a range of other public bodies in the UK, and the NHS in England, have not acted properly or fairly or have provided a poor service. There is no charge for using the Ombudsman’s services.
- The Pensions Regulator had discretion to issue a Financial Support Direction if it was satisfied that the person to whom such a notice is to be issued was a party to an act or a deliberate failure to act which prevents the recovery of a debt due to the pension scheme.
- For other media enquiries please contact the PHSO Press Office on 0300 061 4996.
