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

NewtsInThePond

Posting links to a couple of very recent updates that may be interesting (or irritating - depending on where you are in the process!) for some to read.

Member Knowledge Article Taskforce Update Number 10 - 25 June from the CPS website. With the next one being published 2 July according to Ms MacD. The most useful thing I read here was that Members successfully submitting their quote via the pension portal will receive an acknowledgement and reference number. Which is good to know and definitely something they have changed, as my recent Quote Pack stated you don't get any confirmation for uploading the response via the portal, hence why I had also thought about sending things back registered snail-mail!

Angela McDonald update on the Civil Service Pension Scheme transfer to Capita this is an interview with Ms MacD from 26 June Civil Service World.

daisy_1571

delighted to read this having been online this afternoon.

My account- 2 queries that were showing in March have disappeared without being answered, my p60s that were showing in March have also disappeared, my personal details at least are correct.

Slightly worrying though is the June payslip isn't there. According to their notes payslips should show '2 working days before day of payment' which is Friday in my reckoning.

Looking at the most recent task force news updates I cant work out if I'm in the 6500 quotes due to be out in next few weeks (half of these are partial retirement quotes btw) depending whether my paper form from June 25 has ever been found or my online form from October is still in the system. Both of these had a date requesting my alpha so that I would get a quote for immediate choice. If they have ignored these (in spite of staff advising this is what I should do) maybe I will be in the immediate choice group that they are going to give us 'an update' on in September. She only intimated 'a significant number' so that could be anything from a few hundred to several hundred thousand as I would call either of these numbers significant.

Sigh

hugheskevi

It is incredibly difficult to keep track of the numbers, as there is no consistent reporting theme or tables, just lots of new and different figures reported in each update. Many things included in earlier updates just drop off the radar entirely, with no further mention of either completion or revised deadlines. From amalgamating all sources, this is what I think the position at Capita looks like taking into account the new information in the update.

It looks like thousands of quotes will miss the 30th June deadline, along with thousands of bereavements of members. Those will mostly be pensioner members, so the main thing in those cases will be stopping payment and putting survivor pensions into payment where relevant.

Divorces and transfers are suspended, so backlogs are building up there. Tens of thousands of interest payments will need to be made at a future yet to be determined date. There seems to have been minimal progress on 2015 Remedy work. So plenty of work in the pipeline that will last far into 2027.

Work in Progress

	Being processed	With 3rd party	Total
Death-in-service and ill health	470	543	1,013
Divorce (existing cases)	822	627	1,449
Bereavement	4,500	4,007 (3,700 with families)	11,819
Arrears and pension into payment*	3,657	1,823	5,480
Retirement quotes	4,000 outstanding for past retirement date, half of these are for partial retirement		18,341
Total			38,102

*some members report that although arrears have been paid, 2026 Pension Increase has not been included, so a further arrears payment will be due. It is unclear whether these members are included in the figures in this row

Other deliverables

Telephone answering time	4 minutes
Retirement modeller	Overdue and no timescale available
Divorce (new cases)	Suspended pending new factors
Transfers	Deprioritised and suspended
Interest payments	Will be paid separately to arrears, no date committed to
McCloud / 2015 Remedy	By end June - have implemented at least 400 of the Immediate Choice elections received but not yet implemented from the statements sent out between January and March 2025 (commitment made by Capita at 26th March Public Accounts Committee hearing [see Q233]
Pre 2025 Annual Benefit Statements	Were due to be put in the member portal, overdue, no recent updates
Portal updates	It is unclear what, if anything, is planned here as there have been no comprehensive updates recently. Capita previously said that only 1% of members don't have access, but many were still reporting lost access (username or password suddenly unrecognised and can't be reset). Live Chat only seemed to deal with portal access issues, with other queries having to go through the portal. Many report no answer to queries submitted through portal. Track my case seems extremely basic, and of little use other than to confirm the case is within Capita's system given it only says in progress or resolved. Uploading of documents seems problematic too (only one at a time, or limited size of document, or unable to upload anything at all).

Forthcoming deadlines

30th June	Capita deadline to have restored service to all key performance indicators
2nd July	Angela MacDonald will issue taskforce update
Unspecified	Minister for the Cabinet Office to issue update to Parliament and next steps, following 30th June deadline and assessment of service.
8th July	Combined PAC / PACAC session with the Minister for the Cabinet Office, Cat Little, and senior officials
31st August	Statutory deadline for combined ABS/RSS annual statements to active members
September	Update due about 2015 Remedy / McCloud
30th September	All pensions relating to the quotes issued by end June put into payment and arrears paid where member responded promptly
6th October	Statutory deadline for Pension Saving Statements to be issued
31st October	Deadline for Pension Dashboard connection
Unspecified	Implement new actuarial factors based on new SCAPE discount rate of CPI+2% (factors not yet produced by the Govt Actuary's Dept so no timeline)
6th April 2027	Implement Inheritance Tax changes
Mid 2027	Complete delivery of McCloud / 2015 Remedy - Immediate Choice Remedy Saving Statements all issued (and presumably remaining deferred members RSS), as well as things like Contingent Decisions

ljayljay

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82049632#Comment_82049632

Interesting to see what the allowance would now be inflation adjusted. I don't like to go along with statement that 'all politicians are the same'. However, it really irks me when they use/abuse taxation in this way. If the country needs to raise more taxes fair enough...increase the basic/higher rate percentages. If justified I am quite happy to pay extra tax in a transparent way.

Freezing allowances (same with student earning thresholds) is used cynically & the politicians are relying on the public not paying attention to how fiscal drag is undoing all the previous promises to reduce the tax burden on lower incomes. People have budgets as well as governments & the give/take of taxation in this way just really annoys me.

PS sorry to go off topic....back on topic I have still heard absolutely nothing about my CSP, applied November 25, due at beginning of May 26.

jamesh8

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82049795#Comment_82049795

To update people FYI, my WPS refund and 60% arrears arrived in my bank account this morning. From my calculation, I believe the 60% arrears includes the April 2026 annual inflation increase.

horsewithnoname

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82050276#Comment_82050276

you can get the gross pension and tax figures from the HMRC app. Not a payslip but it will give you the amount

daisy_1571

Thanks horse, I went in again today and payslip was there

hedgehogdaisy1

I retired in February received my lump sum in March, arrear payments in early June and am due to receive my first pension payment in July. I queried why April 26 inflation rise had not been added to my pension and was told this would be added in second half of tax year i.e. October 26.

hedgehogdaisy1

I have just read that as pension is only being put into payment in July 26, I am not due an April 26 inflation rise.

As pension has to be in payment before April to receive rise.

If I had received my pension on time in March I would have been eligible for rise. I have raised matter with Capita.

horsewithnoname

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82054565#Comment_82054565

you would only get one twelfth of the 3.8% because it’s pro rata the first year, but still it is yours and you shouldn’t lose out because capita couldn’t arrange to get drunk in a pub.