We are continuing to support members affected by serious delays to Civil Service pension payments following the transition of pension administration to Capita in December 2025.
Since October 2025, around 8,500 retirees have not received their pension or lump sum payments on time, leaving some without income for months, while widows awaiting survivor pensions have also faced delays. Those planning to retire have been affected as well with the number of outstanding cases continuing to rise and was around 120,000 at the end of January 2026.
This unacceptable backlog has since been significantly reduced in recent weeks due to a Recovery Plan led by Angela Macdonald, Second Permanent Secretary at HMRC, leading a Taskforce of Civil Servants drafted in to clear the backlog, following sustained pressure form CSPA, MP`s, and the civil service trade unions.
We have been raising the unacceptable service delivery issues directly with the Cabinet Office during our weekly meetings and helping affected members navigate the system while the backlog is addressed.
Members’ experiences
We have dealt with many individual cases illustrating the impact of the delays.
One recently retired prison officer left the service in November 2025 expecting his pension lump sum immediately and his first monthly pension payment at the end of December. Instead, he spent Christmas and much of January without income despite repeated attempts to contact Capita. He was forced to borrow money from family and friends before finally receiving his lump sum in February. His monthly pension payments were still pending at the time of writing.
In another case, the widow of a retired civil servant who died in September 2025 has been waiting months for her widow’s pension to begin, despite submitting all the required documentation. The delay has left her without this expected source of income and caused significant distress leading to her being hospitalised due to the distress.
Retirement plans have also been disrupted. One Ministry of Defence civil servant had to withdraw his resignation and continue working after failing to receive the pension paperwork needed to finalise his retirement.
Even long-standing pensioners have been affected. In one case, a 90-year-old pensioner had his payments suspended for four months while a routine “Proof of Existence” form remained stuck in the backlog despite being returned by registered post. His pension has now been restored, with arrears paid after we had highlighted his plight to the Cabinet Office.
How CSPA is helping
CSPA has been working to support members by:
- Raising individual cases directly with the Cabinet Office
- Providing advice and assistance to members experiencing delays
- Monitoring progress on the recovery plan to reduce the backlog
We will continue to keep members informed as the situation develops and press for improvements to ensure pensions are paid promptly and reliably.
If you are experiencing problems with your Civil Service pension, our pension expert can provide advice and help, if you’re already a member simply give us a call on 020 8688 8418 or send an email outlining your issue to enquiries@cspa.co.uk or to join visit cspa.co.uk/membership and sign up today for just £3 a month.
