Rowanmoor Personal Pensions Limited (RPPL) entered administration in August 2022 and was declared in default by the FSCS in December 2023. The FSCS anticipated up to £124 million in total claims — primarily relating to due diligence failures on non-standard assets, including The Resort Group investments. If you held a Rowanmoor SIPP, you may be eligible for compensation.
Rowanmoor Personal Pensions Limited was one of the UK's largest bespoke SIPP and SSAS providers, administering approximately 4,000 SIPPs and 800 Family Pension Trusts with a combined investment value of around £1.5 billion. It entered administration in August 2022 following a surge of complaints — primarily concerning The Resort Group, a Cape Verde luxury resort development investment.
The Resort Group investment was typically recommended to clients by regulated IFA CIB Life and Pensions and its appointed representative RealSipp, who introduced over 1,300 clients to Rowanmoor between 2009 and 2013. Many of these cases involved pension transfers from occupational schemes. The FCA had previously received complaints about Rowanmoor's due diligence on these investments.
The FSCS declared Rowanmoor in default in December 2023 after completing its investigation, at which point claims assessment began on an individual basis. The FSCS received 1,464 claims against Rowanmoor. The SIPP and family pension trust business was sold to Alltrust Services Limited in March 2023, but existing FSCS claims were not affected by that sale.
The correct route depends on whether the firm is still active, the nature of your loss, and whether FSCS compensation has already been paid on related adviser claims.
Rowanmoor is in default and cannot process routine complaints. If an FCA-regulated IFA (such as CIB Life and Pensions) who recommended your Rowanmoor SIPP is still active, a Route 1 complaint against that adviser remains available.
Against live adviser onlyFOS received over 1,000 complaints from Rowanmoor SIPP clients prior to the firm's collapse. If your adviser complaint is still live, FOS escalation after a rejection from the firm is available.
Live adviser complaintsRowanmoor has been in default since December 2023. The FSCS is processing claims on an individual basis. You may also have separate FSCS claims against failed advisers who recommended the Rowanmoor SIPP. The FSCS typically expects adviser claims to be made first.
FSCS — claim nowFor losses exceeding the £85,000 FSCS cap — common where large defined contribution or occupational pension transfers were involved — civil litigation against solvent parties in the advice chain may allow uncapped recovery.
Uncapped — for large lossesRowanmoor's claims centre on its failure to conduct adequate due diligence on The Resort Group investment before accepting it as an allowable asset within its SIPPs. The FCA received complaints about 'historic, high-risk non-standard assets' accepted without 'adequate due diligence' — the same regulatory framework that underlies the Berkeley Burke, Carey Pensions, and Fletcher operator liability cases.
Options UK Personal Pensions LLP v Fletcher [2024] EWCA Civ 541 has now confirmed at Court of Appeal level that SIPP operators have active, not merely passive, obligations to assess the suitability of assets admitted to their products. This legal framework applies to Rowanmoor's conduct in accepting The Resort Group investments.
Where the introduction was made through CIB Life and Pensions (an FCA-regulated firm), separate adviser claims are available under the suitability obligations in COBS 9. The FSCS has confirmed it received nearly 3,000 complaints related to advisers linked to Rowanmoor.
SIPP operator claims are subject to the same DISP and Limitation Act deadlines as adviser claims. FSCS claims must also meet prescribed eligibility windows.
FSCS claims against Rowanmoor are open. Adviser claims under DISP: six years from advice or three years from discovery. Limitation Act provisions apply to civil proceedings. Act promptly and see our full time limits guide.
Redress Advisory assesses your position across all four routes and connects you with an SRA-regulated solicitor at no upfront cost.
Begin Your AssessmentYou do not need to use a claims management company to pursue a pension mis-selling complaint. You can complain directly to the financial firm, escalate to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), apply to the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), or instruct a solicitor independently — all free of charge. Using Redress Advisory does not improve the likelihood of success compared to pursuing a claim yourself, and our fee will reduce any compensation you receive.
Redress Advisory Ltd (Company No. 17295681) is a claims management company. Regulated legal work is carried out by our Operating SRA Partner solicitor firms. We are not a firm of solicitors and we do not provide legal advice.
The information on this page is for general informational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, legal, or claims management advice. Individual outcomes depend on the specific facts of each case. Historical outcomes in related cases are not a guarantee of results in your case.
FOS: 0800 023 4567 | FSCS: 0800 678 1100 | FCA Register: register.fca.org.uk