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Personal pensions

By law, sellers of personal pensions must:

• Check the status of companies and individuals with the FSA Opens new window

• Getting help with money decisions - learn more from the Money Advice Service Opens new window

How to complain – the first steps

Personal pensions

If you have a personal pension scheme, the company that sold it to you must have its own procedures for handling complaints. Your first resort is to complain to the adviser or pension provider who sold you the pension plan.

Company (occupational) pensions

Company pension schemes, which are provided through your work, must by law offer a formal complaints procedure. Your first step will be to complain using this procedure.

Complaining - your next steps

If you're not satisfied after raising your complaint with the person who sold you the pension, or with your company scheme, you can take it further.

Free advice from The Pensions Advisory Service

It's a good idea to go initially to The Pensions Advisory Service. Its network of volunteer pension professionals helps anybody with a complaint or dispute with their pension arrangement. It's a free service and the pension advisers work in their own free time.

You can call The Pensions Advisory Service helpline on 0845 601 2923. (Lines are open 9.00 am to 5.00 pm, Monday to Friday.)

• Visit The Pensions Advisory Service website Opens new window

The Pensions Ombudsman and the Financial Ombudsman Service

The Pensions Advisory Service will advise you whether you have a case to take to the next stage. This can be taking your case to either the Pensions Ombudsman or the Financial Ombudsman Service. An ombudsman is an independent official who investigates and resolves complaints.

The services of the Pensions Ombudsman and Financial Ombudsman are free and their decisions are binding.

• The Pensions Ombudsman Opens new window

• The Financial Ombudsman Service Opens new window

Case of poor management

The Pensions Ombudsman investigates complaints about the way that pension schemes are run. If you believe your scheme's being badly run or mismanaged, the Pensions Ombudsman will investigate your complaint.

Telephone 020 7834 9144 from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm Monday to Friday.

• The Pensions Ombudsman Opens new window

Case of mis-selling

The Financial Ombudsman Service investigates complaints about the way pension schemes are sold. The Financial Ombudsman Service will investigate your complaint if:

• you believe you were sold a pension that was not right for your circumstances
• you were not warned that the amount your pension would pay was not guaranteed

Telephone 0845 080 1800 (9.00 am to 5.00 pm Monday to Friday).

• The Financial Ombudsman Service Opens new window

Regulatory bodies

If your pension scheme administrators have broken the law you can ask for them to be investigated by the appropriate regulatory body. You can also ask for your administrators to be investigated if they breach the strict rules governing their conduct.

Company pension schemes are governed by The Pensions Regulator.

• The Pensions Regulator Opens new window

Telephone 0870 606 3636 (Monday to Friday 9.00 am to 5.00 pm)

Providers of personal pensions are governed by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). It also offers general advice on pensions on its website and has a helpline for enquiries.

Helpline 0845 606 1234. Lines are open from 8.00 am to 8.00 pm Monday to Friday.

• Financial Services Authority Opens new window

Getting compensation

The Pension Protection Fund (PPF)

The PPF take responsibility for your company pension if the company becomes insolvent and the pension scheme doesn't have enough money to pay your pension. However, the scheme must not have started winding up before 6 April 2005.

• Read more about the Pension Protection Fund Opens new window

For more information, call the PPF on 0845 600 2541 (8.00 am to 5.30 pm Monday to Friday).

You might be able to get compensation from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) if:

• your personal pension is not being paid because a financial firm has gone out of business
• your scheme can't pay money it owes you
• you have lost money because you have been wrongly advised by an authorised financial adviser

Telephone 0800 678 1100 (8.30 am to 5.30 pm Monday to Friday) to get more information from the FSCS.

• The Financial Services Compensation Scheme Opens new window

More useful links

• How to catch up if you have little or no pension

• Choosing and using a pensions adviser

• Qualifying for a basic State Pension

• Understanding personal pensions

• Making a complaint about The Pension Service

Useful contacts

• Money, tax and benefits contacts