Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Civil Service Pension Scheme

Thursday 23 April 2026 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Christine Jardine raised concerns about delays in civil servants accessing their pensions and the impact on their livelihood.
  • Rachel Taylor highlighted a specific case of a constituent facing delays in receiving a pension lump sum despite long service.
  • Christine Jardine also mentioned additional cases where pension delays are threatening constituents' homes and forcing them to continue working beyond retirement.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Christine Jardine Lib Dem Edinburgh West
Benefits & Welfare
Context

The question arises from delays and issues faced by civil servants in accessing their pensions after a lifetime of service.

Question

I am concerned about the effectiveness of the delivery of the civil service pension scheme. Civil servants are facing unacceptable delays in accessing their pensions after a lifetime of dedicated service. What assessment has been made?

Answer from Satvir Kaur

The Paymaster General's statement yesterday outlined a robust recovery plan to stabilise the pension service. We are holding Capita accountable for poor service and deploying a surge team to help those impacted. Support is in place, including hardship loans available to affected members.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The assessment of effectiveness was not provided directly, only action taken

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Q2 Rachel Taylor Lab North Warwickshire and Bedworth
Benefits & Welfare
Context

A constituent, Jillian, dedicated her life to public service before retiring. She is owed a lump sum from her pension but has encountered numerous issues in accessing it.

Question

Happy Warwickshire day and St George's day. My constituent Jillian retired after 34 years of service but faces ongoing delays in receiving a £2,000 pension lump sum due to Capita's poor service. She has exhausted all contact methods without success. What support is the Government providing to civil servants left in limbo by Capita?

Answer from Satvir Kaur

I wish my hon. Friend a happy Warwickshire day and St George's day. I agree that service received by Jillian is unacceptable. We have deployed a surge team to stabilise the pension service, continue holding Capita accountable, and hardship loans are available for impacted members. If sent details of Jillian's case, I will look into it.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide full specifics on all support measures beyond referencing loans and surge team

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Q3 Christine Jardine Lib Dem Edinburgh West
Benefits & Welfare
Context

The questioner has constituents who face issues accessing their civil service pensions, impacting one's ability to retire and another's risk of losing their home due to lack of income.

Question

Happy St George's day. Yesterday, the Paymaster General said he would look into a case where a constituent fears losing her house because she cannot access her pension. However, I have other constituents affected: one still working full-time as a carer who was supposed to retire in January but can't due to delays. Can I meet with the Minister to discuss these issues and find ways forward?

Answer from Satvir Kaur

I thank the hon. Member for raising two distressing cases and would be happy to meet her to discuss them.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not commit to specifics of a meeting or concrete actions beyond willingness to meet

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