1. Simplifying the customer journey in leaps and bounds
Occupational Pensioners Alliance (OPA) 12 July 2018
Mairi Spiby Stakeholder Manager

2. The Pensions Ombudsman
Key facts
Impartial
Unique powers
Unlimited redress
Decisions enforceable in the courts
Funded from Pensions levy

3. Updated MOU between TPO and FOS, December 2017
The Pensions Ombudsman (TPO) – matters that predominately concern administration and/or management of occupational and personal pension schemes.
Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) – matters that predominately concern advice in respect of sales or marketing of individual pension arrangements.

4. What we can investigate
All occupational pension schemes and all personal pension schemes
Some decisions of the Pension Protection Fund and complaints of maladministration
Some decisions made by the PPF as manager of the Financial Assistance Scheme

5. The statistics
72 staff
Handled 6,319 enquiries, up 5% from 2016/17
Not including phone calls approximately 6,000
Accepted 1,676 new investigations up 26% from 2016/2017
Completed investigations1,591 up 13% from 2016/2017
29% complaints determined by the Ombudsman were upheld, at least in part in favour of the applicant
70% complaints were resolved informally
Aimed to complete a complaint on average within 7 months- achieved 5 month average

6. Improving what we do
the four stages of resolution we identified as part of our review
how our new office is helping us work smarter
developments in our Digitalisation Programme
how we’re dealing with distress and inconvenience
how collaborative working can help us all.

7. The four stages of resolution
Informal resolution
low volume
longer process
Determination
specific cases only
complex and legally binding
Pre- & Early resolution
medium volume
shorter process
First contact
high volume
quick

8. A new structure Casework function Stage 1: First contact First contact
First contact
Potential complaint enquiries
Make an application enquiries
Stage 2: Pre and Early resolution
Early resolution
Pathway
Informal and Early resolutions
Includes volunteer advisers
Casework flow, jurisdiction
Stage 3: Informal resolution
Adjudication
3 x multi-disciplinary teams
Stage 4: Determination
Ombudsman
Ombudsman and Deputy Ombudsman
Stakeholder management
Customer engagement

9. A smart new office …

10. … and even smarter working

11. Distress and inconvenience
‘Distress’ is things like concern, anxiety, anger, disappointment that an applicant experiences.
‘Inconvenience’ is the time and effort spent by the applicant in relation to the maladministration and in having to pursue their complaint.

12. Redress for non-financial injustice
No award
Minor non-financial injustice
£500
Moderate non-financial injustice
£1,000
Significant non-financial injustice
£2,000
Serious non-financial injustice
Higher than £2,000
Exceptional non-financial injustice

13. Overpayment of benefits
Appeal cases:
Webber
repayment of a lump sum
Limitation Act, 1980 applies.
Bic
repayment through a reduction of future pension payments
Limitation Act, 1980 does not apply.

14. Assisting the courts Previous position – TPO only participated if:
it affected the Ombudsman’s legal jurisdiction or our office procedures.
the decision may have a wider impact on the industry
there are a large number of same-issue cases accepted for investigation
there is a real and significant concern over access to justice.
Post review – TPO may also participate if, for example:

15. Working with stakeholders
Stakeholder managers
Stakeholder Newsletter
Legal Forum
Stakeholder Forum.
If you would like to find out more, contact:

16. Key achievements
Internal change and process review has led to simpler and shorter customer journey, with no loss of quality
Increase in collaborative working has led to better signposting, improved networking/ sharing of good practice
70% of cases resolved informally and time taken halved to five months. Backlog of 730 cases cleared
One place for customers to go for all complaints about occupational and personal pension schemes – TPO

17. What’s next? We want to further simplify the customer journey through:
Phase two of Digitalisation Programme
Giving customers a voice – Consumer Panel
Expanding our Stakeholder Programme

18. Any questions?