The Personal and Occupational Pension Schemes (Pensions Ombudsman) Amendment Regulations 1996

Made10th May 1996

Laid before Parliament17th May 1996

Coming into force1st July 1996

The Secretary of State for Social Security, in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 146(4)(b), 181(1) and 182(2) and (3) of the Pension Schemes Act 19931, and of all other powers enabling him in that behalf, having referred proposals to make these Regulations to the Occupational Pensions Board2, hereby makes the following Regulations:

Citation, commencement and interpretation1

1

These Regulations may be cited as the Personal and Occupational Pension Schemes (Pensions Ombudsman) Amendment Regulations 1996 and shall come into force on 1st July 1996.

2

In these Regulations—

“the principal Regulations” means the Personal and Occupational Pension Schemes (Pensions Ombudsman) Regulations 19913.

Amendment of the principal Regulations2

After regulation 2 of the principal Regulations, there shall be inserted the following regulation—

Extension of Pensions Ombudsman’s jurisdiction to scheme administrators2A
1
The Pensions Ombudsman may investigate and determine any complaint in relation to the administration of a personal or an occupational pension scheme, involving an authorised complainant and the administrator of the scheme.
2
Where the Pensions Ombudsman commences an investigation under paragraph (1), the provisions of Part X of the Act (the Pensions Ombudsman) shall apply in relation to the administrator as they would apply in relation to the trustees or managers of the scheme.
3
In this regulation, “administrator” means any person, other than the trustees or managers of a scheme or the employer to which the scheme relates or has related, concerned with the administration of the scheme.

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Social Security.

Oliver HealdParliamentary Under-Secretary of State,Department of Social Security10th May 1996

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Personal and Occupational Pension Schemes (Pensions Ombudsman) Regulations 1991 (“the principal Regulations”).

Regulation 1 provides for the citation, commencement and interpretation of the Regulations.

Regulation 2 inserts a new regulation 2A into the principal Regulations which extends the jurisdiction of the Pensions Ombudsman to include complaints against scheme administrators.

The report of the Occupational Pensions Board on the draft of these Regulations which was referred to them, together with a statement by the Secretary of State showing that these Regulations give effect to the Board’s recommendations, is contained in Command Paper Cm. 3262, published by Her Majesty’s Stationery Office.

An assessment of the compliance cost to business of the measures arising from these Regulations has been placed in the libraries of both Houses of Parliament. Copies can be obtained by post from the Department of Social Security, 11th Floor, Adelphi, 1—11 John Adam Street, London WC2N 6HT.