Lawyer Dominic Harris has been appointed as the new Pensions Ombudsman from 16 January 2023.

The current Ombudsman, Anthony Arter, will remain in the role until 15 January.

Mr Harris will be paid £143,095, uprated annually.

He is currently a partner in the pensions team at legal firm CMS and is also chair of the Investment and Defined Contribution Committee of the Association of Pension Lawyers.

The Ombudsman role is a public appointment made by the Secretary of State for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

The main responsibilities of the Ombudsman are to investigate and determine pension complaints, investigate and determine disputes concerning the Pension Protection Fund, and to build relationships with external stakeholders, including the DWP.

Guy Opperman, Minister for Pensions, said Mr Harris was the ideal person to lead the Pension Ombudsman service.

He said: “I am pleased to announce Dominic Harris as the new Pensions Ombudsman and wish to express my thanks to Anthony for his service in the role. Dominic’s previous experience makes him the ideal candidate to lead the service.”

The Pensions Ombudsman is an independent organisation set up to investigate complaints about pension administration. It is a tribunal, non-departmental public body of the DWP.

Mr Harris said: “I am delighted to be appointed as the new Pensions Ombudsman. The Ombudsman has a key role to play in ensuring access to justice in the pensions arena, and I am proud to be able to continue the good work of Anthony and his team at the organisation.”

His predecessor Mr Arter was also a lawyer before being appointed Ombudsman. He was a consultant and former London senior partner at Eversheds LLP until April 2014. He was appointed as Ombudsman in February 2015.