GOVERNMENT'S REJECTION OF OMBUDSMAN RULING LEAVES MANY FACING FINANCIAL DEVASTATION

The Parliamentary Ombudsman, Ann Abraham, has today told the Government to compensate 85,000 people who have lost all or part of their company pensions. She made the ruling after finding the Department for Work & Pensions guilty of maladministration. She said official guidance on company pension schemes had been "inaccurate, incomplete, unclear and inconsistent".

Commenting on the Government's rejection of the report, Paul Holmes MP for Chesterfield said: "This is a slap in the face for Chesterfield residents who are facing financial devastation as a result of losing their occupational pension through no fault of their own. Since 2001 I have been demanding justice for thousands of people who have lost their pensions - including my constituents who have worked for Chesterfield Cylinders, Dema Glass and Coalite. The £400 million promised by the Government in the Financial Assistance Scheme was a cruel con trick. It was far too little to compensate all those who had been deprived of their pension. "I've written again to the Minister and I intend to raise this in the House tomorrow."