Recommendation 2

AEAT pension scheme members have been passed from one part of government to another, with no department taking overall responsibility for their complaints. Scheme members have raised complaints with government since 2012 covering a range of issues that involve several government organisations, including departments and regulators. The Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) initially responded in 2013 on behalf of government by providing a factsheet, which summarised the complaints received and the government’s position on each. Six months later, after members were dissatisfied with the response, DWP wrote to them again saying it was not responsible for the case and directing them elsewhere. DWP had to subsequently apologise for the fact that its factsheet added to the confusion over who was responsible for what. Responsibilities for pensions are spread across government, with different departments responsible for private and public sector pensions. The lack of joined-up thinking on pensions allowed the issue to fall between the cracks. Government has not commissioned any independent review into the complaints raised by AEAT members, and all of the relevant ombudsman services have said they cannot investigate the information government provided in 1996. Recommendation 2: The government should ensure that members’ complaints about the AEAT pension case can be independently reviewed, for example by a relevant ombudsman.