The Pensions Ombudsman Arvostelua 

11 months
Severe financial hardship due to ill health.
Refuse to make Section 20 Reasonable Adjustment.
Every time I telephone they pretend to escalate and terminate the call and never call back.
Reading reviews on here everyone seems to receive the same appalling service.
They don't even bother to respond here, which speaks volumes.
Think I need to get legal advice and abandon the case which hasn't been moving anyway.
Every ombudsman is the same.
Courts have horrendous backlogs but still quicker than these clowns.

Apauling service. Took 4 years to come to the conclusion that they were out of time for the limitation period. My money is lost and they cannot do anything. Literally the worst ombudsman service I have ever had the misfortune to deal with. They suggested that I should just accept the money is lost and the former employer who lost the money is correct in saying they have no record of me.

Beyond useless, will make you lose the will to live. I have a brain tumour and need to access my civil service pension urgently. Scheme administrator been refusing to communicate for 8 months. Been in touch with Ombudsman for 7 months.
During that time they have tried to discourage me from a formal complaint, told me to do informal resolution - made all kinds of promises.

Used my last energy reserves to put my case together. Straight away it was clear the person dealing was clueless about my case, kept asking questions he would have known had he read my case.

He then said there was nothing he could do because my pension provider was not answering his emails. N0 Sh1t! That's why I came to you.

Meanwhile my health is deteriorating and I'm sure I'll be dead before this matter is resolved. I wanted my money for neurosurgery but never mind, I'll just die instead.

Person handling my case Ian F. proceeded to make highly offensive and insensitive comments - strongly suggest he be given a crash course in the Equality Act.

Beyond disgusted.

I've had over two years wait for the pension ombudsman service to review a pension dispute for them to get back to me to say there will be a further 18month (1 year and a half) before they will allocate to a specialist advisor, disgusting service, don't bother they should be replaced for something fit for purpose!!

Having read other reviews, there's not a great deal I can add, other than they have a knack of turning it back on you so you end up investigating your own complaint, so unless you have qualifications in the pension service the pension ombudsman is a waste of time

Absolute useless waste of resources. Pathetic excuse for an establishment that doesn't merit any sane person thinking it merits using it. Meant to help settle pension issues, its as useful as flatulence for fresh air.

A very disappointing first encounter with the service - and I did not have high expectations to begin with, having come across UK's understaffed and unmotivated ombudsman services. A very long wait for a case worker to be assigned - many months, maybe even a year? - and then a quickie verdict, of finding no fault with the company and proposing to close the case.

The pension Ombudsman our extremely poor service , they do not see the bigger picture.
Especially after the High court ruling concerning the merchant navy ratings pension scheme. You give them all the Evidence you need and say you’re out of time . Like the
Merchant navy ratings pension scheme did to be .the high court ruling was in 2022 it dates back to 1993 . In the high court judgement the judge ruled you can use the pension ombudsman I did and they our a disgrace not helpful did not know about my complaint according to the pension ombudsman saying it’s out of date unbelievable the high court judgement doesn’t count ? Confused never ever use the pension ombudsman take it to court yourself like I have just done . Terry Anderson

Totally and utterly useless organisation. It will take them 1 year and 4 months to even look at my case. Can any pensioner wait this amount of time without a pension!

A corrupt organisation. They are god!!

an organisation without meaning or purpose, over managed and obsessed with its identity and itself. Write to the pensions minister to raise concerns. Board team needs a decisive clear out.

I complained in August 2020. After chasing an update, in March 2022 I was told my case is waiting to be assigned to an adjuducator. In December 2022 after chasing for a further update I was told it could take another 15 months for my case to be allocated to an adjudicator. Now its March 2024 and 15 months on from my last update so I chased another. Their response is that it could take a further 8 months for my case to be allocated to an adjudicator. What sort of service is this nearly 4 years since making the complaint and still waiting. I am sure most people would not bother to complain if these time limits were shown on their website. I can only hope for some justice after this long wait.

My case has finally been determined after some 2.5 yrs. They will say they are underfunded by central government. I thought the investigation by the Ombudsman on appeal was poor. There was an instance when he said he did not know what a particular allowance bought. Instead of asking me or the employer (HMRC) he speculated wrongly and that informed his decision the reject my claim. Who quality checks their investigations (Post Office investigations...?)

I complained regarding an issue with my pension in March 2023 and in May they told me it will take them 10 months to decide whether the complaint is within their jurisdiction! Judging by the comments here, they will either reject my complaint or just not respond.

This body is completely useless. More than 6 years ago I wrote a series of letters complaining about the removal of my pension for 6 years by the DWP.
I am one of 3.6 million women making the complaint.
Last week (on 17 November 2023) the Ombudsman refused to make a decision and handed it back to the DWP! A complete waste of time.

Absolutely disgusting service and if I could give 0 stars I would. First time using the service and I have waited 6 months already with no resolution to then be told it could take 10 months plus. Really what is the point of the service when you have to wait so long. It is appalling and if I had known this at the beginning I wouldn’t have bothered. Complete waste of time.

They cannot be bothered to look at the complaint. Still struggling with the Pension company and the ombudsman cannot be bothered

The most usless Organisation that pays lip-service to democracy and justice, promising to deliver a complaints resolution opportunity.
Apparently set up by law to deliver impartial practical solutions to pensions problems.
They do nothing.
Don't waste your time sending in evidence either...they don't even look at it coz they'll likely decide Not to investigate
Don't be sucked in.
Their website looks promising, like an insurance policy; one page of benefits followed by nine pages of exclusions that pretty much nullify the supposed benefits!
They took 17 months to tell me they Won't be investigating !
There is no right of appeal. They don't answer to anyone. Their service-complaints process is beyond a joke.
DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME, EFFORT OR ENERGY ON THIS LOT.
Don't say you weren't warned. They are busy finding reasons Not to investigate rather than whether or not any wrong-doing occurred.
For an Organisation that claims to have discretionary powers of investigation, together with powers of enforcement, they seem extremely reluctant to do anything.
They cannot change their decision because they do not make mistakes.....Yeah, right !
Decisions once made cannot and will not be reversed ! Completely Useless and Pointless.

Forget it you will wait 4 years minimum and orobably lots more until the make a decision.
They just cause you more stress abd work. Wish id known before i called them. Forget the start of the call message. They lie! I have been trying for 3 years to get my pension from Clerical medical. My company was sold put and CM won't even look at the evidence I've sent from companies house. They agreed they didn't send any letters to any company for a year! Offering me £200 but still no pension. Then when they did they sent it to the old company that doesn't exist anymore. I'm nearly 70 now. I've been ill with all the stress and time spent either drafting letters or on the phone (which was for around an hour every call most days. I was led to believe from the Ombudsman they would help so spent months photocopying and scanning documents for them collationg diary information etc. Its now been over a year since I submitted everything to the ombusman and I havent even been allocated someone to look at it (first stage of 4 levels) I asked how long it could be to the last person i managed to speak to (they don't take calls now except to encourage new complaints) Dont get drawn in, you are wasting your time and will endues years of stress and costs when I was told my case would probably be at least 4 more years before it would be a decision. I could be dead by then! I would suggest the only pension I would have would be through property. At least you can manage that. Yes even tax advantage is no good if you never get paid out. I know of others in the same situation just incredulous until you are in.it. I feel as though my life has been on hold over this last 3 years fighting for it. Wish me Good luck that Clerical Medical eventually let me have my pension. Thx

Have a issue with my Scottish widows pension that has now been going on for more than a year. Contacted the ombudsman and received email with claim form, filled in and returned , sent several emails since and they don't even bother to reply, can anyone tell me who I contact to complain about the ombudsman.
Well I have now had contact withe the ombudsman, filled out there form then told they can not help because I haven't received a final proposal. All Scottish widows send is a letter we are looking into your complaint and are looking to to sort it out as soon as possible, if we haven't sorted it out in 4 weeks we will get back to you. This letter as now been send 4 times how long am I supposed to wait.
The pension ombudsman is a complete waste of tax payers money.