Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the Pensions Ombudsman operating on a voluntary basis, in the context of (a) its statutory responsibilities and (b) its role in resolving pension disputes.

We have interpreted this question as being about complaints that are resolved through The Pension Ombudsman’s (TPO) Resolution Service (RS). TPO operates independently to deliver its statutory responsibilities. Its RS includes 22 employed pension specialists and 150 industry experts working on a voluntary basis. RS provides an informal route for resolving disputes and reducing pressure on formal investigations. In 2024/25, the RS resolved 1,512 complaints, 80% of the 1905 received, without the requirement for a formal ombudsman investigation. Where early resolution is not possible, the Pensions Ombudsman retains full statutory authority to investigate and determine cases.