How to Complain to The Pensions Ombudsman
The Pensions Ombudsman looks at complaints about how workplace and personal pension schemes are run, once you have complained to the scheme. It is free. Write your formal complaint to the scheme, and we print it and post it for you by Royal Mail.
Not complained to your pension scheme yet? Send your complaint by Royal Mail Tracked 24, from £8.99, so you can prove the date it arrived.
From £2.49 including printing and postage
- No printer or Post Office trip
- See the finished letter before you pay
- Order by 2.30pm for same-day posting
Quick Answer
- Complain first to
- Your scheme
- Time limit
- 3 years
- Apply
- Online
- Cost
- Free
- Phone
- 0800 917 4487
The 3 years run from the event, or from when you knew or should have known about it.
Where to Send It
Make a formal complaint in writing to the party you think is at fault, such as your employer, the trustees or managers, or the administrator. If that does not sort it out, apply to The Pensions Ombudsman online.
Your pension scheme
Your formal complaint, which comes first.
The trustees, managers or administratorat the address on your scheme's lettersSay clearly that you are making a formal complaint, and keep a copy.
Write your complaint letterThe Pensions Ombudsman
Applying, once you have complained to the scheme.
Online application formApply online and include a copy of your complaint letter to the scheme and any reply.
Pension mis-selling or advice
If your complaint is about how a pension was sold, or about a financial adviser.
Financial Ombudsman ServiceThe Pensions Ombudsman cannot look at these. They go to the Financial Ombudsman.
Read the Financial Ombudsman guideThe State Pension
If your complaint is about your State Pension.
Department for Work and PensionsState Pension complaints go to the Department for Work and Pensions, not The Pensions Ombudsman.
How to complain to DWPChecked against The Pensions Ombudsman website on 18 and 19 October 2026.
Why Send It With PostRight
Proof It Arrived
Choose Tracked 24 and you can see when your letter was delivered, with a photo on delivery. Useful when a deadline or reply time counts from the day it arrives.
No Printer, Envelope or Stamp
Type your letter or upload a PDF on any device. We print it, put it in the envelope and post it.
Posted Today
Order by 2.30pm on a working day and we post it the same day by Royal Mail.
How It Works
- 1Complain to your schemeWrite to the trustees, managers or administrator, say clearly that it is a formal complaint and what you want them to do, and keep a copy.
- 2We print it and post itOrder by 2.30pm on a working day and we post it the same day by Royal Mail. A tracked service shows when it arrived, which helps you count the reply time.
- 3Go to The Pensions OmbudsmanIf the scheme does not sort it out, apply to The Pensions Ombudsman online within 3 years.
Complain to the Scheme First
Raise it with the scheme first. If that does not sort it out, make a formal complaint in writing to the party you think is at fault, and say clearly that it is a formal complaint. Workplace schemes should offer an internal dispute resolution procedure, which usually has 2 stages of up to 4 months each.
What to Include
Include your full name and date of birth, your scheme reference, payroll or National Insurance number, what happened, why you are unhappy and how it affected you, and what you would like the scheme to do to put it right.
Time Limit
Complaints generally need to reach The Pensions Ombudsman within 3 years of the event, or 3 years from when you knew or should have known about it. It can extend this only where it is reasonable, such as during serious ill health.
What It Cannot Look At
It cannot look at the State Pension, the sale of pensions or financial advice, or tracing a lost pension, and it only looks at schemes based in the UK. A decision by the Ombudsman is final, binding and enforceable in court.
Other Ombudsman Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
Complain to your scheme in writing first. Then apply online, including a copy of your complaint letter and any reply.
Send your complaint to your pension scheme today.
Write or upload your letter, choose your service at checkout, and we print it and post it by Royal Mail.
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