Pensions Ombudsman: Standards
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Operating Model Review in reducing waiting times at The Pensions Ombudsman over the past year.
Answered by Torsten Bell
The Pensions Ombudsman’s (TPO) Operating Model Review (OMR) has delivered record case closures in both 2024/25 and 2025/26.
Key changes introduced through the OMR include ensuring that individuals complete the formal complaints process with their pension provider before approaching TPO; introducing expedited decision-making that closes cases with clear outcomes earlier in the process, reducing waiting times in these cases by as much as 18 months; and adopting a lead case approach where a structural issue with a pension scheme affects multiple members.
By continuing to implement operational innovations and utilising new resource from DWP, TPO will sustain its efforts to reduce case waiting times, which I recognise remain too long.
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