Pension provider Scottish Widows has been told it cannot reclaim almost £100,000 it mistakenly paid to a divorcee three years ago.
The Pensions Ombudsman ruled the overpayment arose from "maladministration" by the provider and rejected claims by Scottish Widows that Natalie McNicholas's wealth had been unjustly boosted by mistake. The money came from a £623,000 pension pot divided between McNicholas and her husband as part of the settlement when they divorced in 2010. The provider later attempted to reclaim £97,626 after discovering it had overpaid McNicholas when it issued her a cheque for £311,473. However, the mother-of-three had by then entered into an "irreversible" financial contract, relying upon the fi...
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