Common member complaints
Pension liberation
Pension scams have been around for a long time, but are an increasing problem. Now that members have greater flexibility about accessing their DC savings, there's a greater risk that members may be tempted to transfer benefits out of the defined benefit (DB) environment and into an inappropriate scheme – or to withdraw their DC pension savings to invest cash elsewhere. If the new scheme or investment is inappropriate, the member risks losing some or all of their savings, and/or may incur tax charges.
Read moreRecovery of overpaid pensions
It is not uncommon for pension scheme administrators to make errors in pension payments which lead to members receiving greater payments than they are entitled to under the rules. Once the error is discovered, trustees normally want to pay the correct pension going forward, and will also need to consider whether or not to seek to recover past overpayments from the relevant pensioners.
Read moreBenefit estimates and quotations
Mistakes are a fact of life, but what are the consequences if, despite the best efforts of trustees, employers and administrators, a member is issued with an incorrect or misleading benefit quotation?
Read moreDeath benefits
As pensions lawyers we see certain issues cropping up time and time again in death benefit cases. Here, we take a look at some of the more common pitfalls faced by trustees and pensions managers.
Read moreMember communications
Schemes must give their members a variety of communications at different points in time. Giving members incorrect or misleading information can be costly. Here, we look at some of the key principles of good member communications.
Read moreIll-health early retirement
Certain issues crop up time and time again in situations where a member is suffering from ill-health. Here we take a look at some of the more common pitfalls faced by trustees and pensions managers.
Read moreTransfers
Transfer requests, either at the point of leaving pensionable service or at a later date, can give rise to a variety of potential errors and complaints – in fact, transfers are one of the most frequent sources of complaint to the Ombudsman. Here, we look at some of the key principles when handling transfer requests.
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