Not upheld: Service failures generally complaint against Prudential Assurance Company Limited
Financial Ombudsman decision DRN-6252742 of 2026-07-03T00:00:00+00:00. Service failures generally complaint against Prudential Assurance Company Limited. Outcome: Not upheld.
Decision detail
| Reference | DRN-6252742 |
|---|---|
| Decision date | 2026-07-03T00:00:00+00:00 |
| Firm | Prudential Assurance Company Limited |
| Product | Pension |
| Claim type | Service failures generally |
| Outcome | Not upheld |
| Remedy | No additional remedy ordered. The £175 compensation already paid by Prudential (£75 initial plus £100 additional) was deemed sufficient. |
Summary
Mr S complained that he could not use Prudential's online facility to request withdrawals from his Retirement Account since October 2024, forcing him to use the less convenient telephone service instead. Prudential identified a system defect affecting a group of customers and paid £175 in compensation, but could not provide a timescale for resolution or guarantee that opening a new account would help. The ombudsman found that online withdrawal was not specified as a core service in the product terms and conditions, that telephone withdrawals provided an equivalent service level agreement, and that the compensation already paid was fair and sufficient.
The Ombudsman's reasoning
The ombudsman found that while online access is convenient, the product terms and conditions do not specify that online withdrawal is a core service offering. The ombudsman noted that Mr S can still make withdrawals by telephone with the same processing timescale as online requests. Although Prudential identified a system defect and its technical team is investigating, the ombudsman considered this a matter of commercial judgment and prioritisation. The ombudsman was satisfied that Prudential had provided a reasonable alternative service and that the £175 compensation already paid was fair acknowledgment of the inconvenience caused.
How this compares
| Group | Decisions | Uphold rate |
|---|---|---|
| Prudential Assurance Company Limited, all decisions | 3 | 0% |
| Service failures generally, all decisions | 34,229 | 32% |
| Pension, all decisions | 15,621 | 47% |
Source
Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website