New Capita-run Civil Service Pension Scheme - problems (what a surprise!)

John1963

I have just re-registered without problems, but I do begrudge being forced to waste time entering information that Capita should have been sent in the transition.  The transfer should have been a seamless process that should not have wasted member's time.

It's also appalling that Capita and/or MyCSP, seem to think it ok not to communicate with scheme members, at all.  At the very least, I would have expected a 'Welcome" type email or letter from the new provider, to say 'hi', and explaining what users need to do, and why.  I've received no communications whatsoever, and only found out I needed to re-register for an account, when I tried to view payslips this morning.

ToneP

I think we should bombard Mr Richard Kirwan with letters and phone calls until something actually gets done or at the very least they admit what the problems are. The following is from the Capita website;

"Complaints may be made at any time during normal business hours either orally or in writing to:Mr Richard Kirwan, Head of Complaints, Hartshead House, 2 Cutlers Gate, Sheffield, S4 7TL, 0114 273 7331"

AndyQ211

It has now been 1 year since applying for my pension.

All that I have received to-date are 3 emails and a pension quote (received 30th June 2025) but calculated for my 60th birthday - which was some 8 years ago. So to-date I still don’t know how much I would be receiving or even when!

All the forms were sent back on 7th November & as usual, no acknowledgement or response!

The previous administrators ‘myCSP’ quoted around 4 months to receive pension (I allocated 6 months) & all complaints have been ignored. Capita claim to answer emails within 10 days – I’ve now been waiting 3 weeks! If there are internal issues, how difficult is it to display ‘correct’ information on the web site & emails? I find it astonishing that this has been allowed to fester for at least a year!

I based my retirement on the information shown on the ‘myCSP’ web site, expecting to receive my monies around May 2025. To-date I have lost out on some 6 months interest. Should my money arrive in April, I’ve missed out on this current years ISA allowance & more of my pension arrears money will be hit with 40% tax! I distinctly remember Keir Starmer saying “I will not tax your pension” on the election lead up!!

Does anyone know if we can be compensated for any losses?

Answering some earlier posts, the Ombudsman says my complaint can take up to 11 months!

The only satisfaction is that I am not alone!

daisy_1571

ToneP said:

I think we should bombard Mr Richard Kirwan with letters and phone calls until something actually gets done or at the very least they admit what the problems are. The following is from the Capita website;

"Complaints may be made at any time during normal business hours either orally or in writing to:Mr Richard Kirwan, Head of Complaints, Hartshead House, 2 Cutlers Gate, Sheffield, S4 7TL, 0114 273 7331"

I completely agree.  We should have got a letter detailing the changeover and giving us code or something to prove their website is legit.  I had seen the video explaining the website was changing but when I went in to mycsp to print off some payslips in December and it started asking me to input all this personal info I assumed id somehow mistyped something and ended up on a scam website.   Its only recently I've realised its legit and the reason behind it.  Its ridiculous that the company paying you can be changed and they don't have to write to people affected so the individualhas no idea this has happened.

daisy_1571

m_c_s said:

ali_bear said:

A quick search on BBC News website shows the most recent article about MyCSP was back in 2016. 

So, what was the root of the problem there? And what was the reason for many of the staff being on strike before it was stripped of the CSP contract? 

The strike last Summer was to do with Union recognition and TUPE arrangements in MyCSP.
Capita did immediately recognise the PCS Union when they took over the contract in November\December.
I do not know why MyCSP management never agreed to Union representation either through voluntary or statutory arrangement. 

Ive been reading a bit about this this afternoon but apologies, brain a bit befuddled so I might not get the terms accurate but the gist is - Mycsp are a mutual organisation and have a community council type arrangement of staff and management so they don't recognise unions.  (Interestingly they are 25% owned by 'employee partners' the rest is owned by Equniti) Cabinet Office do not specifically look for union friendly companies when awarding contracts but they do recognise that unions are a positive thing in workplaces 

 

JoeCrystal

Came across this: https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/investigation-into-the-administration-of-the-civil-service-pension-scheme.pdf

daisy_1571

Hmrc to help out with backlog - as per civil service world a few minutes ago 

Vhttps://www.civilserviceworld.com/professions/article/civil-service-pension-scheme-hmrc-second-perm-sec-angela-macdonald-asked-to-lead-team-to-help-tackle-issues

sheramber

daisy_1571 said:

Hmrc to help out with backlog - as per civil service world a few minutes ago 

Vhttps://www.civilserviceworld.com/professions/article/civil-service-pension-scheme-hmrc-second-perm-sec-angela-macdonald-asked-to-lead-team-to-help-tackle-issues

Not quite,  if you read the article. 

The person who will lead a team to sort out  the problems happens to be a high up member of HMRC. 

That does not mean it will be  HMRC employees  doing it, rather than Capital staff. 

HMRC have enough  problems of their own without adding to them. 

molerat

daisy_1571 said:

Hmrc to help out with backlog - as per civil service world a few minutes ago 

Vhttps://www.civilserviceworld.com/professions/article/civil-service-pension-scheme-hmrc-second-perm-sec-angela-macdonald-asked-to-lead-team-to-help-tackle-issues

I would have thought the second permanent secretary would be better employed coming up with a recovery plan for HMRC who seem to be in as much of a mess as Capita !  Sort your own house out before trying to fix another.

daisy_1571

JoeCrystal said:

Came across this: https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/investigation-into-the-administration-of-the-civil-service-pension-scheme.pdf

Thanks Joe Crystal

That was v interesting 

Its from national audit office, July 25


I see a 'track my case' was meant to be introduced to the portal.  That wouldhavebeen very handy - 'was discussed but never implemented'.  I presume this was one of the IT improvements that captain was going to introduce which would allow it to run with less staff than Mycsp had.  Due to the simplified IT that has been agreed for 1/12/25 we can maybe look out for it in the expected upgrade in March

It also shows this extra staff that capita are mentioning is rubbish- mycsp had 500 fte working (including the 100 high cost extra staff doing the remedy stuff) so if capita have 500 I cant see how that's double the Mycsp figures. 

Interesting also that cabinet Office ordered mycsp to stop working on remedy oct 24 as it was interfering with the day to day work.  Thats why we still have 56% of the people affected waiting on information.  (Thats the bit I'm most interested in as im affected)

Cheers