Reference: P01373
In relation to a prolonged ill-health complaint (in respect of which he eventually received a £250 award from the Ombudsman) the member ran up over £8,000 of legal costs. He claimed that, particularly as he was in poor health and unused to legal documents, such advice had been required so that he, like the trustees, could be appropriately advised in relation to the claim.
Despite the fact of the trustees' maladministration (indeed, part of their argument was described as “a nonsense”“reasonably necessary”) the Ombudsman emphasised that legal representation was not a required, or normal, feature of applications pursued through his office - the Pensions Advisory Service existed to provide appropriate advice without charge, with the Ombudsman himself able to initiate any further enquiries - and that he was therefore not persuaded that the involvement of solicitors for the applicant was .
"That Mr. Clark should have chosen to deliver his complaint by using a metaphorical Rolls Royce rather than by using public transport does not justify a payment for the more expensive form of transport"
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