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

MouldyOldDough

You know the worst thing of this whole episode is that in 2010 when I took medical retirement from CS - I had exactly the same issue with Capita then - I tried to get responses to emails for over 6 months before resorting to my MP and the cabinet office got involved - which appears to have sorted things out pretty quickly !

Dave46049

Retirement Forms sent February 2025 and confirmed received by Capita - 8 months on - no quote - "it's with the team".

No ABS either, apparently there was a query with the dates "that needs checking" and this will be sent when that's done - as yet nothing.

I presume the query on the dates maybe because I retired during the 2025/26 year ( even though it was 31/3/26 - so should not be an issue to work out that the dates are correct! ).

Contacted my employer - they have raised with Capita.

Contacted my MP - also raised with Capita.

No movement anywhere…

I have 6 open cases in the Tracker….

Nothing in the message centre since July….

ljayljay

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82167049#Comment_82167049

I have just done my weekly check on the portal & have noticed that all 3 of my secure messages have been updated as follows: -

My Initial retirement application dated 08.12.25 (NB I actually applied in Nov 25 but via MyCSP) = Cancelled

My 2nd request to follow up above dated 20.04.26 = Resolved

My 3rd request to follow up the earlier two requests dated 28.08.26 = In Progress

If they spent the time updating the portal, with irrelevant information, on actually processing my actual pension, maybe I would have been paid by now. Also, why have they only kept my latest request open & not the earliest request? Could this be to reset the clock so that it appears that my request is now only 6 weeks old & not 10 months?

I would now be wary sending any further requests, as presumably they would close the August request. Since they don't want to answer the phones, I can only assume that they want us to stop bothering them altogether.

ShottsBA

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82167204#Comment_82167204

That's another oldie. I inherited a team with a few hundred individual mail items. First thing you do is identify all the duplicates and 2/3rd requests. Clear the ones with the most items. Your outstanding work is then a fraction of what it was. It's not wrong and it doesn't explain why it was in such a mess, but it's a superficial quick win.

daisy_1571

So, unbelievably I worked my way up the queue and towards the 2 hour limit. They both coincided being answered at 2 hours and a minute and a half. I quickly said I'm about to be cut off and gave him my number but the call continued well over the 2 hours so I was very grateful as well as surprised as the things I had read during the wait all said mobiles would cut off at two hours and you can't override it.

Anyway. The two queries that have disappeared from my portal view, he can still see. The March one that has been set to resolved he says is due to an update over the weekend and he's had other calls about this issue. He assures me its still open. He says the January ones were the same question as the March one (they weren't) and I couldn't grasp which one he says is closed cos no point having multiple queries for same question. That I get but a) he seemed to suggest they were all still open and b) the whole issue and queries and phone calls would not be needed if they just sent messages to people on the various ways they have to communicate ie portal, email, post! He agreed which is unsurprising but won't be fixed just because we both agree.

I think though that they are closing the older queries if they think the later query is about the same issue.

Yeah well. Main question- out of my 5 forms I've submitted he says my case is in progress, he can see calculations have been done with a pay date of my birthday this year so back money will be due and this is all on the back of my 3rd form to mycsp, done September last year! The one id been told hadn't transferred over. (Dear knows if the 2 subsequent forms I've been asked to put in will be also being worked on or are being used to prop up a wobbly desk leg somewhere.) He said you'll have had your quote - no I've received nothing- oh no, its still in progress. So I've to continue waiting? Yes.

He said, when I asked, I'm part of the '100 day, workable' but im not sure my case file wouldbe flagged as this so nit sure if he was just agreeingwith me.

I'm not sure if I am convinced or in any way heartened knowing of the other cases that have been closed with no notification and with the dodgy last part of the conversation there, but at least I've got some information. For what it's worth.

ljayljay

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82167309#Comment_82167309

I understand that & when working would have done the same in respect of duplicate requests. However, if the request/email was about being unpaid for several months I would have provided some sort of update rather than just play around with my inbox.

ShottsBA

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82167408#Comment_82167408

Yes, the secret was to actually resolve the multiple duplicate enquiries, not just make five become one for stats purposes. I don't think Capita have progressed to that level yet.

Universidad

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82166138#Comment_82166138

Yeah, I can't disagree. The one thing I would say is that unlike us commenters who are free to speculate and, frankly, are probably on the money, the Cabinet Office will want to be very careful not to sensationalise any of what they say, and rightly so.

If you read their response to the recent FOI it has a tone which is honestly quite unusual already.

WorryPot

Civil Service Pensions Taskforce update #19

The next update will be published after the Minister's update to Parliament later this month.

15 October 2026

horsewithnoname

Quite a few people in my department have received their pensions/lump sums. Not all are correct, but at least they have some money. Which isn’t to say that a lot of people aren’t still having a total nightmare.