Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average waiting time was for the Pensions Ombudsman to respond to enquiries in the latest period for which data is available; and if he will set a timetable for reducing those waiting times.

The Pensions Ombudsman (TPO) has seen an increase in demand for its services in recent years from people with complaints about their occupational or personal pension schemes. The organisation has continued to perform strongly against its key performance indicators, as set out in the 2021/22 Annual Report and Accounts.

In 2020/21 TPO resolved 99 per cent of its general enquiries within 28 days of being logged on TPO’s system, compared to a target of 90 per cent, and closed 74 per cent of total pension complaints within 12 months, against a target of 70 per cent.

Additional funding was provided to TPO as part of the 2021 Spending Review to recruit additional staff to clear adjudication cases. Data shows TPO productivity increased by 14% across the last two years and it is working to bring down waiting times further.