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

Mikalis

My wife retired on 13th Jan 2026. She finally received a quote in June. The quote was simply a bald figure with no workings to show how the final figure was arrived at. As the quote was below the figure shown in her Annual Benefit Statement dated 31st March 2025, despite having worked for a further 9 months and having made a lump sum contribution of £5000 (has this disappeared into the ether), she is refusing to accept it.

It will not surprise you to learn that it has been impossible to get any sort of meaningful update from Capita.

However her employer has been very kindly following up on her behalf, and has had more luck in getting a response. Her employer sent the following on July 24th

I have given the helpline a call this morning for an update and they have advised that your requote is still waiting to be triaged before it then goes to a pension technician to look at recalculating it and amending it if there has been a miscalculation in the original quote. Unfortunately, they cannot provide any further time frames provide on this.

Has anyone in a similar situation regarding inaccurate quotes, actually managed to get everything resolved?

Has anyone received a quote which actually shows how the final figure was arrived at, so that it possible to check if it is accurate.

She is holding out because she does not want to accept an incorrect figure and then spend a life time trying to get it amended

Thanks to everyone on this forum for providing updates, otherwise we would be in an information black hole

Sorry to see Nick Thomas-Symonds lose his job, he looked like he was really going to kick some backsides

ljayljay

Whenever I read the task updates, with the latest released on 7/8, I just get more confused.

The McCloud remedy needs to be considered presumably for most pensioners who were employed both prior & after 2015. My pension was due at the beginning of May 26 (applied in November 25) & so far heard nothing. I left CS scheme as a deferred pensioner in 2019, therefore McCloud remedy applies.

However, the following statement on the latest task update seems to suggest that these cases have yet to be looked at….am I reading this correctly? If so surely that will effect many more thousands of quotes.

From the latest task update...

https://www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk/memberhub/kbarticle/?id=KA-01378

'I am also aware that more members are starting to contact Capita with queries about the 2015 Remedy (McCloud). Please do not call the contact centre for information at this stage, as Capita have yet to work through the recalculations. I have asked for a plan, and timescales for completion, and will review this alongside the overall remediation plan. I genuinely understand your exasperation at having to wait for information about the impact of McCloud, and know your expectations (and mine) are that this work should be well ahead of where we are. However, contacting Capita will not speed up your options calculations.'

hugheskevi

The McCloud remedy needs to be considered presumably for most pensioners who were employed both prior & after 2015. My pension was due at the beginning of May 26 (applied in November 25) & so far heard nothing. I left CS scheme as a deferred pensioner in 2019, therefore McCloud remedy applies.

You need to start by separating out those affected by 2015 Remedy into whether they were in receipt of a pension as at 1st October 2023 or not.

Those who were receiving a pension before that date are part of the Immediate Choice population. 43% of this group have been provided with their 2015 Remedy options, the rest are still waiting. Supposedly by mid 2027 the remaining Immediate Choice options will be issued, but it would be a brave person backing that to happen given the current state of affairs.

Those not in receipt of their pension as at 1st October 2023 are given their 2015 options when they claim their pension. This is the group you are in.

Active members yet to receive their pension receive a combined Annual Benefit Statement / Remediable Service Statement each year showing their options.

Deferred members such as yourself receive a one-off statement showing their entitlement under each option, and about half of deferred members have received that statement. This group is the least important and has not been discussed at PAC or other groups, so should expect to be waiting a long time to see their entitlement. As you have claimed your pension before the deferred statement was sent, the deferred statement will cease to be relevant and will not be issued.

In each group there are exceptions, eg, there are active members not sent an ABS/RSS. Complicating factors such as having purchased EPA or Added Pension, wanting to make a Contingent Decision, etc, will all take longer.

The statements previously issued were sent from MyCSP back in early 2025. There is due to be an update on 2015 work from the Cabinet Office in September, but I wouldn't be surprised if that doesn't materialise.

ljayljay

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82096937#Comment_82096937

Many thanks for your exlanation…

Just to clarify when they state...

Please do not call the contact centre for information at this stage, as Capita have yet to work through the recalculations. 

Do you think I am in that group that Capita have not looked at yet? or are they just referring to deferred members who are yet to retire plus those 57% immediate choice members who have yet to receive a remedy option?

If in a queue I am resigned to waiting. However, the task updates quoting overall numbers in different cohorts makes it impossible to even guess when pension will be paid. I assumed by end of summer, now I am thinking could be next year.

hugheskevi

Just to clarify when they state...

Please do not call the contact centre for information at this stage, as Capita have yet to work through the recalculations. 

Do you think I am in that group that Capita have not looked at yet? or are they just referring to deferred members who are yet to retire plus those 57% immediate choice members who have yet to receive a remedy option?

That is a reference to the Immediate Choice members.

You are part of the quote backlog that is being worked through, but based on the timings you reference you should have been completed by now. Doubtless your claim is 'complex' In theory, you should be due completion no later than end of September (unless you end up being one of the 600 most complex within the complex group) based on the last round of deadlines, but so many deadlines have come and gone without being completed that there can be very little confidence in the end-of-September deadline.

ljayljay

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82096968#Comment_82096968

Thanks, that is kind of reassuring, pity the update didn't make this clearer.

I would be surprised if my quote was complex. I was in Nuvos, then moved to Alpha in 2015. Originally, I was receiving ABS with separate quotes for Nuvos & Alpha. Last year my ABS changed to give me one quote, that was roughly a combination of my Nuvos/Alpha entitlement & therefore appeared accurate. I also recall that there was also another tab that had no figures yet available.

In my case it will be a very simple decision to opt for the Nuvos scheme, as the Alpha element would not be paid until my NPA in 2 years. I am currently 65.

I could send Capita a secure message to this effect, but is anyone reading them?

hugheskevi

I would be surprised if my quote was complex. I was in Nuvos, then moved to Alpha in 2015. Originally, I was receiving ABS with separate quotes for Nuvos & Alpha. Last year my ABS changed to give me one quote, that was roughly a combination of my Nuvos/Alpha entitlement & therefore appeared accurate. I also recall that there was also another tab that had no figures yet available.

The earlier statements would have shown you as being in nuvos to 1 April 2015 and alpha thereafter. Your ABS last year would have shown you as being in nuvos throughout the entire time, as you have been rolled back into the legacy scheme.

When you get your quote it will show both options, but barring serious illness or death, as you say, nuvos will be better for you.

I could send Capita a secure message to this effect, but is anyone reading them?

Based on recent experiences, no. The civil servants sent in to help the scheme went through all the messages, but now messages just seem to generate a case reference that isn't progressed.

Calling isn't of much greater use either. It was established at PAC that call handlers say they will escalate cases, but that just puts the case to an escalations manager who determines whether or not to escalate it. If they determine not to escalate it, the call is disregarded. If they decide to escalate it, it goes to the relevant work area to deal with as they see fit (who might not deal with it at all).

But, given you requested a quote prior to December you should have been dealt with, so it is well worth chasing. Probably by phone is the best option.

ali_bear

Awoogah. Mine is now in payment.

It is only small but worth having. Full inverse commutation was applied (PCLS zero).

They will get to yours eventually 🤞

Watching_The_Wheels

Managed to get up enough energy this morning (after having a stroke a couple of weeks ago) to phone about my missing WPS contribution refund, I’m now eight months into my retirement.

Zero progress and not even an acknowledgment from Capita after five months of chasing WPS refund.

Another case reference generated to be ignored as will be the phone call.

ahiseeitallnow

First of all let me just say I'm not nearly as badly affected as many recent CS retirees. However, I do like to feel as if I'm being treated fairly by our pension (mal)administrators. The outstanding pension quotation numbers being touted by Capita and the Richard Vianello Taskforce just don't make sense when considered alongside the dates of my retirement notification and my actual retirement date. I'm talking about non-complex cases being processed at a rate of about 2,000 per week, yet they've failed to catch up with the outstanding backlog and the case total continues to increase massively according to recent Taskforce updates. It, literally, doesn't add up.

Anyway, having not had specific responses to a number of complaints I've made via the pensions portal I decided to ring Capita and request an application form for the Internal Dispute Resolution process. I actually hope and expect that my quotation and pension may be in payment before the potentially months-long dispute resolution process is completed. Imagine my surprise (not really) to learn during the telephone call that my first 'complaint' in January 2026 was 'in the process' and my other 4 complaints had been cancelled. Apparently, the system decides to do that because it assumes all subsequent complaints after the initial complaint are about the same matter. Well, not it my case they ain't. So now, I've asked for those other complaints to be reinstated by the agent and responded to as separate issues.

The whole thing just beggars belief.