Not upheld: Other regulated complaint complaint against Aviva Life & Pensions UK Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Mrs P complained that Aviva sent a confidential email containing personal data to her employer without her permission as part of a claim review for her group income protection insurance. Aviva accepted the error, apologised, and offered £500 compensation, but Mrs P believed this was insufficient given the impact on her professional reputation and privacy. The ombudsman found that the £500 compensation was appropriate under FOS guidelines for considerable distress and upset, and that there was no evidence the information had been shared more widely, as the employer had deleted the email. The complaint was not upheld, and the ombudsman declined to order additional remedy beyond what Aviva had already offered.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman applied FOS compensation award bands for distress and inconvenience, finding that £500 is appropriate where a mistake causes considerable distress, upset and worry. Although Mrs P expressed concerns about ongoing impact on her professional position, privacy and reputation, the ombudsman found no evidence the information was shared more widely and that the employer had deleted the email. The ombudsman concluded that Aviva's apology and compensation were in line with what would be expected and that Aviva could not reasonably do more, particularly as it had accepted the mistake and reported the matter to the relevant body.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website