A hearing to decide who will take up the position of the new Pensions Ombudsman and Pension Protection Fund Ombudsman has been announced by the Work and Pensions Select Committee.

The pre-appointment hearing will take place on 11 February this year, where the preferred candidate, Anthony Arter, will be assessed on his suitability for the role, including his independence, expertise and his ability to withstand public and parliamentary scrutiny.

Tony King, the current Ombudsman, will stand down from his post in late spring 2015 and Jane Irvine’s second term as Deputy Ombudsman ends next autumn.

Both post holders have agreed to be flexible about their departure dates to ensure a smooth transition for their successors, who will also act as the PPF Ombudsman and Deputy PPF Ombudsman.

Speaking about his departure, King said he had "hugely enjoyed" his eight years as the ombudsman.

"Since I joined we have made a great deal of progress in becoming more informal, flexible and efficient," he said.

"In the next few months we will be introducing further important developments, making us more accessible and emphasising our service users’ needs and expectations.

"I have decided that when those are established it will be a good time to step down so that the office can continue to develop under new leadership and I can pursue other interests."

Irvine, who has been in the post for five years, said that as she had never planned to stand for a third term, she thought it would be helpful to make her choice clear to the DWP so that a double recruitment process could take place.

Minister for Pensions Steve Webb thanked them both for their service and said that King had successfully led the office through a period of modernisation and that Irvine had "greatly helped" the office deliver on its targets.

Share Story: