Poor Service from MyCSP

back_against_the_wall

Are there any Civil Service pensioners out there waiting for a refund
of their Widow's Pension Contributions?

I was employed for 25 years by the Inland Revenue. I retired for health reasons about 10 years ago when I was 50. I was informed then that if I remained single up to my 60th birthday I could claim
refund, plus interest, of the Widow's Pension Contributions deducted from my salary throughout the period of my service.
I was 60 on 16 September 2014, the earliest date for the refund of my WPS contributions. Back in July this year I completed and returned the necessary claim forms, issued by Capita, to apply for
my refund. I was informed in a letter from Capita dated late July that all necessary documentation had been sent to MyCSP and all future enquiries on the matter should be directed to MyCSP.
I heard nothing then from MyCSP until a letter dated early September saying my "refund options" were being processed and I would be contacted again "as soon as possible". Then, basically, nothing. I have "phoned them, sent emails (which they just totally ignore) and now formally complained in writing about their delay in dealing with my claim.

In one of my calls the "adviser" said a target date of 3 October 2014 had been set for dealing with my claim but that came and went and I heard nothing. When I chased this up in a call on 8 October 2014 the "adviser" could not seem to trace any record of my claim then said it had not been "actioned" for some reason she could not explain but that now the claim would be "escalated" and someone would phone me back, but nobody ever has.

This rubbish about complaints being "escalated" just seems to be ways of getting rid of callers who are blocking up their system
and bothering them. I am fairly sure the so called "advisers" are
instructed by their supervisors to get rid of annoying callers by basically lying that claims will be "escalated", knowing full well that no such "escalation" will happen.

Not only is the money owed to me, which should have been paid on my birthday, 16th September 2014, but also 36 years of interest from 1978 to 2014. I have very little confidence that MyCSP will calculate the interest correctly when, and if, they eventually manage to deal with my claim.

GibbsRule_No3

I have been having the same problem since June this year when mine should have been paid. I started the ball rolling in May, so they had plenty of time to sort it in time to pay on the due date. I have phoned every week and even sent them my details with all the working out from the day my WPS was frozen in 1995 and they still cannot work out what they owe me. It will now probably be a longer wait since they are now running the contract for the main Civil Service Pension fund and no doubt that will take priority over a refund for WPS.

atush

I have heard lots of problems here from others with mycsp so feel for you. Not always about widows pensions, sometimes it is just getting their hands on their pensions full stop.

But that doesn't mean you need 2 identical threads about it? Why not delete one?

xylophone

http://www.mycsp.co.uk/about-us/our-customer-promise.aspx

Oh dear.......

TPAS might assist? http://www.pensionsadvisoryservice.org.uk/

Steve489

MyCSP have been struggling to cope since taking over responsibility for payment of pensions and managing deferred pensions a few weeks ago. I suspect they have taken on the extra work with insufficient staff. See the previous thread MyCSP-Are Pensions being paid on time?

I was amazed my pension lump sum and WPS refund was paid on time in early October - however there was a minor error. I still have no final statement of the pesnion award including indexation and I'm hoping they make the first pension payment on time at the end of October.

MyCSP is hopeless at returning calls and failed to reply in time to an informal complaint abour poor communications. I'm now dealing with a manager and have a direct phone number to her.

If I have any further problems, I will:

1. Send a complaint to MyCSP CEO Nicky Hurst
2. Send a complaint to Dominic Rowley, Head of Scheme Governance, Cabinet Office
3. Issue a Stage 1 IDR formal complaint
4. Complain to my MP

MyCSP is working under contract to the Cabinet Office. They risk losing the contract the next time it is reviewed if they carry on like this.

Organist

Hopefully Capita will get the system back I never had a problem when they were running the it and could also access my pay statements, P60's etc. online. Even if MyCSP pay on time their offering is a backward step from the system I have had the benefit of using for the last 5 years.

marlot

Mycsp have been struggling for some time. I had to make a formal complaint a year ago over a timed out pension transfer.

BoxerfanUK

As a re-employed pensioner I had three questions relating to further accrued pension. I wrote to MyCSP on 2nd August, received a brief letter back stating they had passed it onto their department dealing with 'Reserved rights'........still waiting for an answer!!

MyCSP, they are absolutely hopeless, they are adminstering CS pensions and half of them don't even understand the rules. I shall wait until first week in November, by which time that will be 3 months, and chase them up for an explanation.

GibbsRule_No3

My usual Friday phone call today. Needed a fifteen minute wait and that was done twice as the first fifteen minute was cut off. When I did get through the poor girl sounded very stressed, glad I don't work there. Still no further on, supposedly someone is going to call me, girl could not give a date or time. Frantic typing of my details could be heard throughout the call. Luckily I am not needing the WPS refund urgently so this is becoming rather funny. When they do payout I think I'll miss my Friday phone calls. Not that I think it is going to end anytime soon!!!

back_against_the_wall

Many thanks to all who have responded. I am beginning to think it is a total waste of time phoning MyCSP because, even when you do manage to get through, the "adviser" you get to speak to has the only aim of getting rid of you and moving on to the next caller, who they will equally fob off with some lame excuse and promises of "escalation", which never happen.
A better course is for us all to complain about the appalling performance of MyCSP to their MP. This might take a bit of nagging your MP but will be worth the effort if it produces a result.
I received a letter last week from MyCSP saying much the same as they said in a letter sent early September, namely that they had received my claim and would reply "in the near future". Not much progress then, except my MP has now sent me a letter, after a bit of nagging, saying he will take up my case with the CEO of MyCSP. Watch this space for developments.

GibbsRule_No3

Friday tomorrow, so wish me luck in my usual Friday phone call. Needless to say no one has phoned me yet after last weeks call to them.. Wonder how long I will have to wait this week?