AstraZeneca Pension Fund (CAS-41116-C8M0)

Ombudsman’s Determination

Outcome

I do not uphold Mr R’s complaint and no further action is required by the Trustee or AstraZeneca. 

Complaint summary

Mr R complained that when his employment was transferred from AstraZeneca to Avara Avlon Pharma Services Limited (Avara) under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE) on 1 December 2016, he should have been allowed to retire immediately with an unreduced pension. 

Mr R said that if in 2010 he had known that he would not be allowed to receive an unreduced pension in the event of a TUPE transfer, he would have chosen to become an Employee Member, thereby allowing him to receive an unreduced pension rather than accepting a TUPE transfer to Avara. 

As his pension subsequently started to be paid on an unreduced basis on 31 March 2020, Mr R claimed that he should be paid the missed pension payments between 1 December 2016 and 31 March 2020, plus interest.