Internal Dispute Resolution Procedures – Revised Requirements

Section 50 of the Pensions Act 1995 requires that the trustees and managers of occupational pension scheme ("trustees") have in place and maintain internal dispute resolution procedures to facilitate the resolution of disputes between them and any person who has an interest in the scheme (e.g. a member of the scheme, a widow, a surviving dependant, etc.).

The requirements were amended with effect from 6 April and give trustees the flexibility to adopt a single-stage procedure, rather than the two-stage process that was required in the past. However, trustees are not obliged to change their two-stage arrangements to a single-stage process.