The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has published for consultation draft regulations connected with the planned simplification of the statutory internal dispute resolution procedure (IDRP) regime. The DWP intends to bring the regulations into force on 6 April 2008, simultaneously with the amendments to section 50 of the Pensions Act 1995 made by section 273 of the Pensions Act 2004 (as amended by section 16 of the Pensions Act 2007). By law, most occupational pension schemes must have in place IDRP arrangements.

Broadly, under the simplified regime, trustees will be able to provide a single-stage IDRP or keep their current two-stage arrangements. The draft regulations require that when notifying complainants of decisions, trustees must include details of The Pensions Advisory Service (TPAS) and the Pensions Ombudsman. The regulations also provide that schemes whose sole trustee is a company of which all the members are directors are exempt from the IDRP requirements, and provide that complaints ongoing on 6 April 2008 shall continue to be handled under the existing provisions. Additionally, the DWP seeks views on whether it should impose more stringent statutory obligations on schemes to tell complainants about TPAS, to avoid an increase in the number of disputes referred to the Ombudsman. For further background information, see Practice note, Internal dispute resolution procedure. Consultation on the draft regulations runs until 18 December 2007.

See Consultation on draft regulations, The Occupational Pension Schemes (Internal Dispute Resolution Procedures Consequential and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2008, DWP, October 2007.