The Fiat Group Pension Scheme
FOI reference - FOI-431
Date - 18 November 2025
Request
I require all correspondence that you hold related to the report I made to you regarding the wrong doing and breaches of regulatory rules by the Trustees of the Fiat Group Pension Scheme (FGPS). My understanding is that TPR contacted the Trustees of FGPS and investigated my allegations. I therefore require copies of all correspondence sent to the trustees and their replies, as well as any actions or criticism made by TPR regarding the Trustee’s behaviour.
Response
Duty to confirm or deny whether we hold the information requested
We neither confirm nor deny that we hold information falling within the description specified in your request.
Section 44(1)(a) – restricted information under s82 PA04
The reason that we cannot confirm or deny that we hold the information is because disclosure of the sort of information requested, if held, is prohibited under an enactment, save in certain circumstances which do not apply here.
As we have been given strong powers to demand documents and other information from trustees, employers and others, those powers are also balanced by restrictions on how we disclose the information provided to us. The type of information you have requested would be ‘restricted information’. Restricted information is defined at section 82(4) of the Pensions Act 2004 (PA04) as:
‘…information obtained by the Regulator in the exercise of its functions which relates to the business or other affairs of any person’.
Under section 82(5) of the PA04 it is a criminal offence to disclose such information except as permitted under that Act.
Whilst the FoIA is based on the presumption of releasing information, section 44(1)(a) of the FoIA provides an absolute exemption to the requirement to disclose any information if its disclosure is prohibited by or under any enactment. In this case, section 82 of the PA04 prohibits disclosure and we are unable to disclose the requested information. This exemption is absolute and does not require a public interest assessment be undertaken. This response should not be taken as any indication of whether or not TPR holds the information requested.
Duty to provide further assistance
Organisations who may be able to assist
As outlined on the complaints section of our website, if you have concerns about your pension scheme or employer, you should first attempt to resolve the issue directly with them. Most schemes have a formal dispute resolution procedure that sets out how complaints are handled and the relevant timescales.
If your complaint is not resolved through the scheme’s process, you can seek assistance from the Pensions Ombudsman, who helps resolve individual disputes between members and their pension schemes.
Additionally, if you would like to speak with someone independent about your pension, we recommend contacting MAPS (Money and Pensions Service) or MoneyHelper, both of which offer free and impartial guidance.
Information TPR publishes
TPR takes seriously any allegations of misconduct or incompetence by trustees or managers of occupational pension schemes. While TPR may investigate such concerns, please note that their involvement may not resolve individual complaints.
TPR actively publishes guidance, advice and details of regulatory action we have taken on our website. For more details on TPR’s regulatory approach and available resources for trustees, please refer to their guidance on how they regulate and enforce and Guidance and resources to help trustees.