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

Mikalis

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82031375#Comment_82031375

You are not alone

My wife retired on 13th January 2026

She had informed her employer in mid September 2025. Her employer passed on the details to MyCSP

No contact from MyCSP. So no pension quote. Assuming that the transfer of the scheme to Capita would have teething problems, she waited until late December to try and access the portal, this proved to be impossible.

Weeks later she managed to access the portal but no useful information from that source.

She rang Capita in March with a very long time on hold, was told that her case had been escalated. But what does escalated actually mean? No time frame was indicated.

She received a letter from Capita dated 22nd April which said

'We are reviewing retirement applications submitted before 1 December 2025

Once your quote has been completed, it will be issued to you automatically.

In the mean time , you only need to contact us if your personal details change.'

So they are basically saying go away, leave us alone and wait patiently, we will eventually get back to you at some ill-defined time in the future.

Days? Weeks? Months? Years?

We have seen the end of June as a suggested deadline to issue quotations

We will believe when we see it.

NewtsInThePond

Latest Taskforce Update (number 9) has been published today on the CPS website: Member Knowledge Article

ljayljay

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82033115#Comment_82033115

Would be better if each update superseded the previous ones & gave a full summary to cover all scenarios of outstanding cases. This update doesn't give me any information to meet my requirements, although that may be because nothing has changed from one of the earlier updates. I just can't be bothered to check through the earlier updates to try & work out what cohort I am now in. Just as well that I have savings & other income so not desperate, unlike some people.

horsewithnoname

There is the advance of up to £20,000 that you can get from your department if leaving employment , so if that is the situation you are on, get that, leave your savings where they are. Costing them money is the only way to get things improved; ie back in house, not farmed out to the cheapest option

NewtsInThePond

Oh dear 😒!!! Not good reading unfortunately (yet unsurprising at the same time!) for all us bods who are waiting patiently to receive our pension quotes "by the end of June"!

Capita is about to sail past deadline to fix civil service pensions scheme

Mikalis

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82032814#Comment_82032814

My wife who retired on the 13th of January 2026 has finally received her quote dated 10/06/2026

It may not surprise you to learn that it is inaccurate. The figure quoted is £12,941 per annum

Her Annual Benefits Statement for the period up to 31/03/2025 showed Alpha £13,220 plus a small Nuvos pension of £325. A total of £13545

Added to this figure there should be an uplift for the 9 months and 12 days of service between 31/03/2025 and 13/01/026

She also made an extra payment of £5000 (this seemed like a good idea at the time)

The quotation document simply shows the bald figure with no breakdown of how it was calculated, or whether for example the additional payment of £5000 has been correctly credited.

They state the following

'Your Annual Benefits Statement (ABS) is an estimate based on your position up to 31 March of the relevant tax year. Your pension quote uses more recent information and includes all the relevant adjustments, so it will be more accurate. It is normal for your quote to differ from your ABS. You should use your pension quote to make retirement decisions'

So they are asking us to take their calculations on trust with no information as to how they arrived at the figure.

I wonder how many people are receiving inaccurate quotes and how many will eventually receive the wrong pension payments?

Is this all a result of a desperate rush to meet the end of June deadline to issue all the outstanding quotes.

I guess our next step should be to contact Capita and try and get a proper breakdown

Shabbycat

I raised a query when I received my quote as I questioned the amount of my refund of the widow(er)s pension contribution. My query has yet to be addressed and I received my lump sum at the beginning of the month. If the HMRC app is anything to go by I may be receiving my first pension payment tomorrow?? A month earlier than I was expecting. I’ve yet to get a finalisation letter so I can check the figures. Under the circumstances, I’m happy to wait for this, getting money to people is more important.

Mikalis

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82039362#Comment_82039362

So should we proceed with the quote and check the figures after we receive a finalisation letter? Does the finalisation letter provide a full breakdown

Shabbycat

I was told to put my options in with a covering letter with the query which they were also raising and ask for my pension not to be delayed. She said any amendments could be made later and the quote wasn’t written in stone. Whether this is correct or not I can’t say. Depends how urgently you need the money or what your stress levels are like. I have found the whole situation very stressful indeed!!!

hugheskevi

She said any amendments could be made later and the quote wasn’t written in stone. Whether this is correct or not I can’t say.

The scheme will pay pension entitlement in line with scheme rules, regardless of the amount a quote has set out. So if errors are identified, the pension will be corrected, at least with prospective effect - arrears will be paid if the error is to a member's detriment, and overpayments may be recovered or written off.

Mind you, it is easier to sort any issues out before payment to avoid having to unpick and correct past payments along with potential tax implications, so that would be preferable, but it seems not to be the world we are in at the moment.