Introduction
There may be a time when a member of the Fund is unhappy with the service provided by the Fund or disagrees with a decision made about their membership or benefits. The Fund will seek to clarify, or put right, any misunderstandings or inaccuracies as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Our complaints policy has been developed to provide assurance that, if a member of the Fund does wish to make a complaint, it will be dealt with promptly, respectfully and in a consistent manner.
The management of complaints is important to the Fund. In addition to providing Fund members with assurance that their complaints will be properly considered, it ensures that feedback from members supports the continued improvement of services.
In general, complaints will usually relate to one of the following:
- problems with the standard / quality of services provided
- failure to provide responses or information within agreed timescales
- disagreement with a decision
- disagreement with how a policy / regulation has been applied
- incorrect use or storage of data
- inaccurate data
- inaccurate payments
Aims of the complaints policy
The application of the complaints policy aims to:
- support members with a straightforward, appropriate, and effective process for the prompt resolution of complaints
- take complaints seriously and deal with them in a manner that is appropriate to the nature of the issue
- guarantee that complaints are dealt with on the basis of evidence and proper investigation
- ensure that every issue raised in a complaint receives an appropriate explanation
- operate in a respectful and sensitive way, having due respect for confidentially
- ensure that the consideration and monitoring of complaints supports the improvement of services received by members
- ensure that all complaints are handled fairly and consistently
What is a complaint?
Many queries and minor disagreements can be resolved quickly and without being escalated to the level of a complaint. In the first instance members should contact the Fund in one of the following ways:
Pension Fund staff receiving a query from a dissatisfied Fund member will, wherever possible, attempt to resolve the issue within five working days. A complaint arises if the Fund member still feels that the processing of their pension benefits, calculation or query has been dealt with in an unsatisfactory manner and should be investigated.
Making a complaint
If a member of the Fund wishes to make a complaint, it should be submitted in writing in one of the following ways:
When making a complaint, a Fund member should specify all of the issues requiring a response and provide relevant dates. Members contacting the Fund by letter should ensure that they include the following information:
- full name
- address
- contact details
- date of birth
- National Insurance number
Any information provided will always be treated in accordance with the Fund’s privacy notice.
Complaints made through a third party, such as a Union Member or Councillor, will only be investigated if consent to share information has been received from the relevant Fund member. Once the Fund has received consent to share information, a complaint will be subject to the normal process and timescales. A summary response will be provided to the Union Member or Councillor in accordance with the privacy notice and any consent to share information.
Dealing with complaints
Complainants will be listened to and reassured that their issue is being taken seriously. Complaints will be considered by a suitable member of staff and will be escalated to a more senior member of staff where appropriate.
Complaints submitted on the complaint form, My Pension Online or by letter will be resolved as promptly as possible. When a complaint is not resolved within five working days of receipt, the complaint will be acknowledged, and an anticipated response timescale provided. In circumstances where it is not possible to provide a response within five working days, the Fund will aim to provide a response within ten working days.
Depending on the nature of the complaint, the Fund may need to request information from a third party, usually a member’s employer or payroll provider. Complaints will be dealt with confidentially and information regarding the complaint will not be shared with the third party unless it is absolutely necessary to do so.
To ensure that all of the relevant facts are available, and to enable a full investigation to be carried out, the target date for responding to a complaint may need to be extended. The complainant will be informed of any extension and provided with a new target date for the full response.
Anonymised summaries of complaints may be made available to the Pensions and Investments Committee and to Derbyshire Pension Board for monitoring purposes.
Applications for the adjudication of disagreements procedure (AADP)
If a Fund member is still dissatisfied after the procedure set out in the complaints policy has been completed, they have the right to appeal under the applications for the adjudication of disagreements procedure (AADP). For further information please visit our Feedback, complaints and appeals page.
Concerns and complaints: A step-by-step guide for Pension Fund members
If a Fund member is unhappy with the service provided by Derbyshire Pension Fund, the following steps detail how they can make (and if necessary, progress) their complaint.
Step one: You have a problem with any aspect of your pension benefits, or the administration provided.
You can contact the Fund detailing your concerns in the following ways:
- helpline: Speak to a member of the Pensions Team on the Pensions Helpline on tel: 01629 538900
- feedback form
- letter: Write a feedback letter to the Fund: Derbyshire Pension Fund, County Hall, Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 3AH
Step two: We were unable to resolve your problem informally
You will be asked to make a complaint in writing:
- My Pension Online: If you have registered for My Pension Online, you can contact the Fund from your dashboard by selecting the ‘contact us’ option, then select ‘Complaint’ from the dropdown list
- complaint form
- Letter: Write a complaint letter to the Fund: Derbyshire Pension Fund, County Hall, Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 3AH
The Fund will respond as promptly as possible, and you should expect the complaint to be resolved within five working days. If this is not possible, an acknowledgement will be sent and a response within ten working days.
Step three: We were unable to resolve your problem formally
The Fund provides information at step two about how to raise an appeal, which is available on our Feedback, complaints and appeals page.
This Fund policy was approved by Derbyshire County Council’s Pensions and Investments Committee on 6 September 2023.