Making a complaint

The complaints process

If you're unhappy with the service you have had from for us, please let us know as soon as possible. You can find out how to contact us below, along with details of what will happen next.

A large red button with the word feedback written on it in white

How to make a complaint

You can make a complaint by:

Emailing: csu@railpen.com
Calling: 0800 012 1117
Writing to: Railpen Ltd, PO Box 300, Darlington, DL3 6YJ

It would be helpful if you could include:

Your full name and Pension Reference Number
Your contact details (including your daytime phone number)
Full details of your complaint, including what happened and why you're unhappy
What you think we should do to put things right

How we will handle your complaint

Your complaint will be dealt with carefully and thoughtfully.

We will contact you within 2 working days to let you know who have received your complaint and tell you who will be dealing with it moving forward.

We then aim to send you a full reply within 10 working days. It may take a little longer if the issue is complicated and needs a detailed investigation or further information, but we will let you know when you can expect a reply if that is the case.

Our reply will answer your complaint directly. If appropriate it will include details of what caused the problem and the steps we are taking to make sure it doesn't happen again.

What to do if you’re unhappy with our response

If you’re unhappy with our reply, you can ask for your complaint to be considered under the Scheme's Internal Disputes Resolution Procedure (IDRP). This has 2 stages:

For Stage 1, we will let you know that we have received your complaint and send a full reply within 2 months
If you’re still not satisfied with the response, you can ask for your complaint to go to Stage 2 of the IDRP. In this case, your complaint will be looked at by the Trustee or its representatives. This will be done at the next available Committee meeting, and a response will be sent to you within 10 working days after that meeting

What happens if we can’t find a solution together

If you’ve been through the full Internal Disputes Resolution Procedure (IDRP) and are still not satisfied, then you can ask the Pensions Ombudsman to investigate your complaint.

The Ombudsman is an independent organisation, which has been set up by law to investigate complaints or disputes about pension schemes.

You can register a complaint online at pensions-ombudsman.org.uk/making-complaint

The Pensions Ombudsman also provides an early resolution service if you need help raising your concerns or to discuss a potential complaint. In some cases, this can be before the IDRP has been used.

You can contact the Pension Ombudsman for more information:

Call: 0800 917 4487
Email: helpline@pensions-ombudsman.org.uk, or
Write to: 10 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf, London E14 4PU
Visit: pensions-ombudsman.org.uk

If you’re asked for the Scheme registration number, it’s 10203279.

What to read next...

About the Scheme

Learn more about the Railways Pension Scheme (RPS) and the Trustee.

Frequently asked questions

Got a question about your pension? You might find it's already answered in these FAQs.

Read as You Need guides

In-depth guides covering a variety of pension topics. You can read them online or download.

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© Railpen Limited 2023. Registered Office: 100 Liverpool Street, London EC2M 2AT
Each of Railpen Limited (registered in England and Wales No. 2315380) and Railway Pension Investments Limited (RPIL) (Registered in England and Wales No. 1491097) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Railways Pension Trustee Company Limited (Registered in England and Wales No. 2934539). Registered office for each company: 100 Liverpool Street, London EC2M 2AT. RPIL is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for some of its activities. The administration of occupational pension schemes is not a regulated activity. Full details about the extent of RPIL's authorisation and regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority are available from us on request.