Pensions Ombudsman
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The Pensions Ombudsman is the official ombudsman institution responsible for invesigating complaints regarding pensions in the United Kingdom. The Pensions Ombudsman is appointed by the Government, but acts independently after appointment. His brief is to resolve disputes of fact or law and to investigate claims of maladministration. Unusally for UK Ombudsmen, the Pensions Ombudsman's determinations are enforceable as though they were orders made by a Court.
Although the first UK Ombudsman, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration, was established in 1967, the first time the title Ombudsman was used by Parliament was to establish the office of Pensions Ombudsman in 1991.
The first Pensions Ombdusman was Michael Platt, a civil servant. He was succeeded by Dr. Julian Farrand, formerly the Insurance Ombudsman. Prior to his work as an Ombudsman, Farrand had been a Law Commissioner and and a University Professor. He is married to Baroness Hale, also previously a Law Commissioner and the first woman to be a member of the Judicial Committee of the House of Lords, the UK's highest court.
The present Pensions Ombudsman is David Laverick, previously a Director of the Local Government Ombudsman service and chief executive of the Family Health Services Appeal Authority. He also holds a Judicial Appointment as President of the Adjudication Panel for England, a body which deals with allegations about the conduct of members of local authorities.
Since 2004, David Laverick has also acted as the Ombudsman for the Pension Protection Fund, and in that capcity deals with appeals against decisions made by the Financial Assistance Scheme, established by the Government to provide assistance to those whose pensions have been lost due to an Employer going into liquidation.
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