Celebrating Volunteers' Week - A blog by Kurt Sanger

This week it’s Volunteers’ Week. To celebrate, we’ll be sharing testimonials from current volunteers and shining a light on their excellent work.

Whilst 2023/24 saw the Early Resolution Team rebranded as the Resolution Team, one thing that hasn’t changed is how committed the Team remains to resolving disputes and delivering fair outcomes for members and schemes alike. Central to our ability to deliver this objective is the invaluable work done by our volunteer advisers.

The complaints process exists to give people a voice when things go wrong, and scheme members use our service as a last resort when they feel they would be otherwise unable to resolve their concerns. They do so in the hope that we will not only bring clarity to what may have gone wrong, but that we will also alleviate the stress and anxiety they may be feeling.  It really isn’t an overstatement to say that we have an opportunity to make a meaningful difference to people’s lives. The volunteer network affords us even greater reach, with the generous efforts and expertise of volunteers enabling us to help even more people.  

Supported by Volunteer Network Manager, Paul Day, and his team, our volunteers helped close around 380 cases in 2023/24.  That is 380 people for whom we have been able to make a difference; 380 people in need of help who were able to share their concerns with an impartial body that ensured they were treated fairly. This really is an achievement of which we should be proud.  

We ensure that volunteers have flexibility about when they work on cases, and many of our advisers balance working with TPO with other commitments. But, time is a precious commodity, and it is no small thing to dedicate some of that precious time to volunteering.  When I see the testimonials we receive from grateful scheme members about the support they received, I am reminded not only of the value of the service we provide, but also just how rewarding volunteering can be.

On behalf of everyone at The Pensions Ombudsman, thank you for your continued support. The Resolution Team and I look forward to working with you throughout 2024/25 and beyond.

If you are interested in volunteering, you can apply via our website.