Civil Service Pensions

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The MP asks about the specific financial impact on pensioners due to delays and what support is available beyond recovering costs from Capita. He also inquires about plans for real-time oversight of the transition period.

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The MP inquires about the impact on current civil servants who have recently retired but not yet received their pensions.

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The MP questioned the government's management of the contract, citing unheeded warnings and a growing backlog of complaints. He called for compensation for those affected and asked about the Government’s plans to refer Capita to the Debarment Review Service and its stance on future contracts.

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The MP mentioned that MyCSP had also faced issues previously, questioning the assessment of risks before awarding the contract to Capita.

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The MP expressed concern for the 1 million current and former civil servants affected by delays in pension payments, asking about restoring confidence and prioritising bereavement cases.

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The MP highlighted practical issues such as the lack of an MP hotline, repetitive generic responses to emails, unclear guidance for MPs' interaction with the service, and postal delays.

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Expresses bemusement at Capita's stance regarding the emotional impact on constituents and questions whether Capita is unwilling or unable to resolve the issue.

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Highlights cases of constituents facing unacceptably long delays, including a terminally ill lady and a man in severe financial hardship. Asks when the Government will take the civil service pension scheme back in-house.

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Asks about Caroline from Rickmansworth, who has been waiting over six months for retirement documentation. Asks what advice can be offered.

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Expresses concern about a terminally ill constituent who died without her pension issues resolved. Asks for specific actions to be taken.

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Highlights delays in government correspondence and questions confidence in meeting future deadlines.

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Reports ongoing issues with pension payments, including financial distress. Asks about further interest-free loans for those awaiting settlements.

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Raises a case where Capita is refusing to accept a Scottish extract of divorce for death in service benefits, potentially leading to tax implications.

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Highlights cases of delayed pension payments, including a constituent diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's. Asks for assurance that Capita will prioritise these cases.

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Questions the effectiveness of measures taken against Capita, given missed deadlines. Asks what levers will be used if the August deadline is also missed.

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Expresses lack of faith in Capita's ability to meet deadlines and calls for the provision to be brought back in-house. Asks for details on transition.

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A constituent couple retired in April 2020 and have been waiting for a resolution since. Can the Minister's surge team provide assistance with sorting out their pension issue?

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Capita employees are paid a sub-living wage, yet the company is profiting off a £200 million contract. How much profit is Capita making from this contract?

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Will the Minister consider compensating people who have been financially affected by Capita’s failures, using its profits?

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How could a company like Capita be awarded a £320 million contract to administer civil servants’ pay when it has failed in pension administration?

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Capita is providing false assurances to constituents in virtual surgeries. What further action will be taken against Capita?

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A constituent is facing significant delays in receiving his pension letter and feels disrespected. Can the Minister assure accountability for Capita’s failures?

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What is the Cabinet Office doing to improve commercial management of third-party contracts?

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What due diligence was undertaken before awarding Capita the pension administration contract, and will more sanctions be considered?

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How is Whitehall ensuring better value for money in procurement and project management?

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Will the Minister commit to holding Capita accountable daily and prevent it from securing future public contracts?

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When constituents contact the Cabinet Office, should they not be directed to specific actions taken by the Government regarding their pension issues?

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Does a competence test need to be included in the public interest test for awarding contracts?

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My constituent Anita, who was widowed suddenly in December 2025, has had her case mishandled by Capita. She is experiencing hardship and has not been able to scatter her husband’s ashes. The Minister has insisted that bereavement cases are prioritised but evidence suggests otherwise. What actions will the Minister take to ensure people like Anita receive urgent attention?

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Capita's communication and handling of pension cases in my constituency is inadequate, causing serious problems. The system has built up expectations but repeatedly fails to deliver. When can we expect all outstanding cases to be resolved?

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One of my constituents submitted a request more than a year before their retirement date but is still waiting, missing the June deadline. What additional resource in terms of staffing or funding will Capita allocate to resolving this backlog by August?

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Paul and Susan Robinson, who each worked for the Health and Safety Executive for over 40 years, have not been able to plan for their retirement since last year. They live off savings and a small loan. Given missed deadlines in the past, how can we ensure that these issues will not recur?

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Many constituents are angry about delays and wrong payments. If a senior civil servant had been responsible, would they have been fired? What actions will be taken to ensure the chief executive at Capita loses their job?

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A constituent waited over an hour despite assurances of short wait times when contacting Capita. Does the Minister agree that civil servants deserve better service?

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This situation exemplifies a broken social contract, where people who worked for the state cannot be paid by it. The Minister's statement about insourcing is welcome but what actions will ensure the taxpayer does not foot the bill?

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Mr Evans, who applied for early release of his pension due to terminal illness but passed away without resolution. What actions can be taken to ensure his family receives owed payments and interest on back payments?

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Will the assessment of insourcing this contract consider wider benefits, such as building state capacity to execute core functions with confidence?

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What else will the Minister do to ensure that other parts of the public sector learn from what he is putting in place regarding outsourced contracts?

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Frosoulla, who took partial retirement to care for her mother but has received no correspondence from Capita despite multiple calls. What actions will the Minister take to restore confidence and ensure people receive their earned pensions?

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Only three out of 14 cases have been resolved; many are bereavement cases that were supposed to be prioritised. What actions will the Minister take if contractual performance falls below required levels?

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Jamie Dalgleish served 25 years in the submarine service followed by 23 years in MOD police but is still waiting for his pension, now working minimum wage to support himself. Will the Minister take Jamie’s case directly to Capita?

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My constituents have been treated appallingly by Capita, leading to deaths due to delays in pension payments. I welcome the Government’s decision to hold Capita accountable. Will the Minister ensure no more contracts are awarded to Capita and explain why it was given the Synergy contract despite poor performance?

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Thanking the Minister for his efforts to resolve the issue, I highlight continued poor performance from Capita. The response time for cases is excessively long. Can you ensure that surgeries set up for this purpose are effective?

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One of my constituents, Dr Carol Furlong, is still waiting for a £15,000 pension payment promised in October. Can the Minister assure that Capita has sufficient resources to handle urgent cases causing financial hardship?

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My constituent Carol Campbell, a marine coastguard team leader in Stornoway, is facing hardships due to Capita's failures and feels forced to continue working despite her age. What steps will the Minister take to hold Capita accountable for failing public servants?

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Delays in receiving civil service pensions due to Capita’s failures are causing serious hardships. Will the Minister outline steps being taken to ensure Members’ correspondence advocating for constituents is dealt with quickly by Capita?

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Many cases of affected constituents were raised in a Westminster Hall debate, including four Dartford residents still unresolved. Does the Minister agree that civil service pensioners deserve better treatment? Will taking the contract away from Capita be considered?

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Several constituents have been failed by Capita, including Barbara whose husband passed away in January and has yet to receive his pension despite repeated document requests. Does the Minister agree this is unacceptable? Can he assure me that every option remains on the table?

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Thanks the pensions recovery taskforce for resolving one of my constituent's cases and asks what reassurances can be given to civil servants due to retire, worried about being swept up in this issue?