Good to know: You do not need to use a claims management company to make your complaint to your pension provider or intermediary. If your complaint is not successful you can refer it to the Financial Ombudsman Service or the Pension Ombudsman yourself for free if the firm is still trading. For eligible failed firms, you can refer a claim to the Financial Services Compensation Scheme for free.

0345 544 1563

Marks & Spencer (M&S) Workplace Salary Pension Claim

If you worked for Marks & Spencer before 1st April 2002, you might have been awarded a final salary pension. Though final salary pensions are quite rare today, they are an extremely valuable and desirable option. Sadly, a number of former Marks & Spencer employees have been duped into missold DB transfer products. They were given negligent advice to swap their desirable defined benefit pension for a risky private scheme.

If you had a Marks & Spencer pension and were advised to switch, you may be the victim of a  missold salary swap. If so, it’s time to make a final salary transfer claim.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) warns all Marks & Spencer pension holders to be very careful when dealing with independent financial advisers. In many documented cases, these advisers provided negligent advice that did not consider their clients’ suitability for a pension transfer. In some cases, this is a matter of negligence. However, in some shocking cases, advisers purposely misled their clients so that they could earn a hefty commission.

If you or someone you love is the victim of a missold DB transfer, you could be entitled to defined pension compensation – read ahead.

What is a Marks & Spencer Pension Transfer?

Marks & Spencer rewarded their employees with a desirable pension package called a final salary pension. Final salary pensions (also known as defined benefit pensions)  are often considered the gold standard. They pay a monthly amount for the rest of your life, keeping up with the rate of inflation. When the cost of living goes up so too does your monthly pension payment.

They are far superior to private pensions, which are tied to the market and draw from a limited pot. When the money is gone, the money is gone. Unlike a final salary pension that continues to pay until you die, private pensions can leave you broke in your retirement years.

In rare cases, such as terminal illness, it’s beneficial to trade in your final salary pension for a ‘Cash Equivalent Transfer Value’ (CETV), which is a lump sum. This is only advantageous in rare circumstances. However, some Independent Financial advisers realized they could make money with CETVs. They have misled people like you into a missold salary swap, advising them to take the CETV payment and investing it into a fixed pension.

Of course, they take a hefty commission from the CETV and leave you struggling in your golden years. A missold DB transfer can cost you secured pension earnings in later life.

Do you qualify for Final Salary Transfer Compensation for your Marks & Spencer Pension?

If any of the above sounds familiar, you may be eligible to make a defined pension claim. If successful, you will be awarded defined pension compensation, allowing you to recoup some of what you lost.

As the victim of a missold salary swap, you now have legal recourse. The Allegiant team offers expert guidance on final salary transfer claims, and we have worked with other Marks & Spencer pension holders. To have your prospects assessed by our specialist team, simply fill in our online form.

Apply Now

Start Your Claim Now

Progress

Are you concerned that you are a victim of pension mis-selling?

Roughly how much do you estimate you have lost due to poor advice?

What type of pension are you concerned about

SIPP Provider

Select Your Workplace

Does your claim relate to an automatic transfer of your existing government pension into the 2015 arrangement?

Tell us briefly about the circumstances you want us to investigate

Skip

Former Surname (if different when you took out your pension or investment)

Did you register with your provider or advisor at a different address from where you now live?*

Please enter your national insurance number? (Optional – but providing this now could significantly speed up our investigations)

Skip

Title

Full First Name*

Please enter at least 2 characters.

Last Name*

Please enter at least 2 characters.

Email*

Date Of Birth*

Mobile Number

Landline Number

Search for an Address*

Are you subject to or have you ever been subject to an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA), or have you proposed an IVA yet to be approved or rejected by creditors?*

Have you ever been declared bankrupt or are you subject to a bankruptcy petition, or are you currently or have you ever been subject to a debt relief order? Do you have an adverse County Court Debt Judgement?*

Are you subject to any other process similar to the above, including but not limited to sequestration, but not including a debt management plan?*

We would like to send you information about our products and services from time to time, but will only do so with your consent. Please let us know which method(s), if any, you consent to:

If you would like to receive information from our carefully selected partners, please let us know by which method(s)

I understand that by clicking "Submit", my eligibility will be assessed by automated technology. I understand that I can opt out of this prior to submission by opting out within the Privacy Policy

Andy Ramsay

Pensions & Investments Claim Manager

Andy understands financial services regulations and the technical arguments required to make a successful claim.

In his career he has successfully dealt with an array of claims such as pension transfers and switches, SIPP and endowment claims.

Andy was part of the “Pension Review” and Customer Liaison Departments for Royal Sun Alliance. Unhappy with how consumers were being treated, he realigned himself and has been representing consumers since 2004, ensuring fair and equitable treatment for consumers.

Pension Query? Contact Andy

Insights from Our Pensions Team

Expert Insight: The Importance of Choosing the Right Pathway for Your Claim: CMCs and Law Firms Compared.

In this article, Allegiant’s Pensions & Investments Manager, Andy Ramsay, explores the fundamental differences between the Court and Ombudsman routes for resolving pension & investment claims. The article highlights key differences in:-

  • costs consequences and funding arrangements
  •  the differing basis of an assessment that a Court will deploy when compared to an Ombudsman
  •  the potential need for claimants to attend a hearing in Court

Andy further explores outdated preconceptions about Claims Management Companies. This short summary is essential reading for anyone planning on making a pension or investment claim with the assistance of a CMC or law firm.

Click to Read

Learn With Allegiant: The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) In A Nutshell

You may have heard of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), but do you fully understand its vital role within the UK’s financial services sector? In this short piece, we look at:-

  • The type of claims FSCS covers (and those it doesn’t).
  • How and when it can help
  • The FSCS claims process

This article will be of particular interest to anyone with a potential compensation claim against a financial service provider that has collapsed.

Click to Read

Learn With Allegiant: What is a SIPP?

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has identified ‘serious and ongoing failings’ by both Individual Financial Advisers (IFAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pension Providers. Typically, mis-selling is related to the “wrong” type of investor being given poor or misleading advice as to what investments were relatively safe and right for them. In this summary, we look at What a SIPP is, and how they have been mis-sold, together with the FCA’s review into sector malpractice.

Click to Read

Our Mis-sold Pensions Claim Procedure

  • Step 1

    Pre complaint investigation and analysis. No paperwork? Don't Worry! We could still help.

  • Step 2

    Once we've assessed claim prospects, we make a pension complaint to the Ombudsman or FSCS, where appropriate

  • Step 3

    Pension complaint response received. We'll carefully analyse the response and advise you on how to proceed.

  • Step 4

    If appropriate resolution cannot be reached with a live firm, and we disagree with their stance, we will refer the claim to Ombudsman on your instruction.

Our Fees - What You Need To Know

Worked Fee Example

As of the 1st March 2022 we have implemented a new fee structure which we have explained below. If you signed your contract with us prior to the 1st March 2022, please refer to your signed claims pack for our previous fee terms.

Our fees are owed upon a successful claim and will depend on the Gross Compensation you receive. “Gross Compensation” means the amount awarded to you whether this is paid directly to you or paid into an investment or pension, and prior to any deduction of any income tax due to HMRC on your award. Please refer to the definition of “Gross Compensation” and Section 5 of our Terms of Engagement for further information including a table showing how our fees work in different scenarios.

If successful, your fee will be calculated based on which band your redress falls into and will be charged by whichever is the lowest of:

  1. the maximum percentage rate of charge for that band, or
  2. the maximum total charge for that band.

The below table outlines the redress bands, the maximum percentage rate of charge and the maximum total charge is for each band.

Band Redress % Charge (with VAT) Maximum charge (with VAT) (£) Maximum charge (without VAT) |(£)
1 1 – 1499 36% 504 420
2 1,500 – 9,999 33.6% 3000 2500
3 10,000 – 24,999 30% 6000 5000
4 25,000 – 49,999 24% 9000 7500
5 50,000+ 18% 12,000 10,000

Examples of how this would work in practice:

Band Lower example Higher example
1 You receive £100 in redress; our fee would be £36. You receive £1499 in redress; our fee would be £504.
2 You receive £1,600 in redress; our fee would be £537.60. You receive £9,999 in redress; our fee would be £3,000.
3 You receive £12,000 in redress; our fee would be £3,600. You receive £24,999 in redress; our fee would be £6,000.
4 You receive £30,350 in redress; our fee would be £7,284. You receive £49,999 in redress; our fee would be £9,000.
5 You receive £55,000 in redress; our fee would be £9,900. You receive £100,000 in redress; our fee would be £12,000.

Please note, the above fee examples are for illustration purposes only. They are not an estimate of the likely outcome or fee you will need to pay. Each claim depends on its own merits.

It is possible that our fee may become payable before you have access to your pension or investment which may result in you having to pay our fee from your own funds

Cancellation Rights (Pension Claims)

You can cancel for free at any time within 14-days without giving any reason and without incurring any liability. You can communicate your cancellation by telephone, post, email or online.

You can cancel this agreement at any time after the 14-day cancellation period. However, if a complaint submitted by us is successful, the Success Fee will apply in the usual way.

You can cancel by post: Allegiant Finance Services Limited, Freepost RTYU–XUTZ–YKJC, 400 Chadwick House, Warrington Road, Birchwood Park, Warrington, WA3 6AE; (b) by email: ; (c) by telephone: 0345 544 1563; or (d) online at https://allegiant.co.uk/compliance/cancellation.

Looking for Claim Representation? Why Allegiant is a Great Choice for Pension Claims Assistance

Human

Our small, dedicated pensions team provide a personal touch

Trustworthy

We’ll treat your claim as strictly confidential. Your personal information is safe with us.

Longstanding

We’ve serviced over 100,000 clients across all service lines since our inception in 2010.

No Paperwork? Don't Worry!

We could still help if you don’t have all your paperwork or details. Our team are experienced in helping locate paperwork where possible.

Technologically Driven

Our online application system and claim audit surveys enable us to offer an efficient and convenient claims journey.

Claiming for Free Yourself

Good to know: You do not need to use a claims management company to make your complaint to your pension provider or intermediary. If your complaint is not successful you can refer it to the Financial Ombudsman Service or the Pension Ombudsman yourself for free if the firm is still trading. For eligible failed firms, you can refer a claim to the Financial Services Compensation Scheme for free.