We recently invited CSPA members to share their experiences of the service they are currently receiving from Capita. We asked why they had needed to make contact, how they attempted to do so, how long they waited for a response, whether their issue had been resolved, and what impact any delays—particularly to payments—may have had on their personal circumstances.
As of Tuesday 10 February, 295 members had responded. The findings paint a concerning picture of prolonged delays, communication difficulties and unresolved cases.
Difficulties Making Contact
Six in ten respondents said they had attempted to contact Capita. The most common route was the online contact form, used by half of those who had made contact. Nearly four in ten tried to get through by phone, while one in ten used the post.
However, making contact with the pension administrators had proven to be extremely challenging for many members responding to our survey. Of those who had called Capita, almost three in ten gave up before speaking to anyone. More than a quarter reported being on hold for over three hours, while just 13% were connected within an hour.
The experience of members using the online contact form had been similarly frustrating. Of those who submitted queries online, three-quarters had yet to receive any response. Fewer than 8% had received a reply within a week.
Reasons for Contact
Members reported a wide range of issues prompting them to get in touch with the pension scheme. The most common problem, affecting over a third of those who contacted Capita, was difficulty logging into the new members’ portal. Others cited missing information on their portals (15%) and missing payments (14%). A further 13% were approaching retirement and awaiting pension estimates, while 12% were still trying to resolve outstanding queries that pre-dated the transfer from MyCSP.
With issues remaining unresolved, many members had sought support elsewhere. Nearly a third had contacted their local MP, a quarter had approached CSPA, and one in ten had sought legal advice.
Low Resolution Rates and Poor Satisfaction
When asked whether their issue had been resolved, nearly two-thirds said it had not. Over a quarter had still not managed to speak to anyone, and only one in ten reported that their issue had been successfully dealt with.
Unsurprisingly, overall satisfaction levels were extremely low. Two-thirds of respondents rated the current level of service at just 1 out of 5. Only a small minority awarded higher scores.
Financial Impact of Payment Delays
While most respondents (78%) were not awaiting payments—largely because many are already retired and in receipt of their pensions—the situation was far more serious for those who were.
For the 12% waiting for their payments, the consequences were significant. Some had been forced to delay their retirement, whilst others had borrowed money or were drawing down retirement savings to cover everyday costs. More than one in ten describe themselves as being in financial hardship. Although some had access to short-term, alternative sources of income, the strain caused by delayed payments was clear.
Members’ Experiences
Behind the statistics are real people, facing uncertainty and distress.
One member reported giving more than four months’ notice ahead of retirement, only to receive holding letters and no substantive response. Having turned 60 in November 2025, they were still waiting for their options letter. Despite speaking to Capita twice, they were told no information was available. They have since contacted the media and are writing to their MP.
Another member, who took voluntary exit in October 2025, was still waiting for part of their pension to be paid, despite an interim loan payment being made by their department to avoid hardship. They were also waiting for their McCloud remedy options.
Several members described circular and inefficient communication processes. One received a letter weeks after submitting an online query—simply instructing them to call by phone. Another, who submitted their resignation in August 2025 and is due to retire imminently, has yet to receive pension quotes or option forms. They lodged a Stage 1 complaint in January 2026 and have heard nothing since. Colleagues who attempted to call reported queueing positions in excess of 100 and hours spent on hold.
Overall, the findings suggest systemic service failures, significant communication breakdowns and, in some cases, serious financial consequences for members. While not every member is directly affected by payment delays, for those who are, the impact has been substantial and deeply worrying.
On 28th January 2026, a Joint Statement from Catherine Little CB, Civil Service Chief Operating Officer, and Adolfo Hernandez, Capita’s CEO, was published on the Government, Capita and Civil Service Pension Scheme websites. The statement addressed “serious issues affecting Civil Service pension scheme members” and said that Capita and the Cabinet Office were “deeply sorry for the worry, frustration and distress this has caused”. It went on to outline the steps that were being taken, the nature of cases to be prioritised and what scheme members facing hardship should do to access temporary support loans.
On 12th February 2026, the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee heard oral evidence from two senior Capita executives, Richard Holroyd, Chief Executive Officer, Capita Public Services; and Chris Clements, Managing Director, Capita Public Services. They said they had been “overwhelmed” by the unexpectedly large amount of Civil Service Pension Scheme casework they were presented with when the firm formally took over administering the scheme in December. Holroyd started his evidence with an apology: “This service is not meeting in any sense the service that Capita seeks to deliver, or the pensioners and the members of this scheme deserve”. Holroyd said, “We absolutely recognise that. We are really aware of the hardship that some of the members of this scheme are going through. We are also aware that this is a major life milestone which needs to be managed correctly and without fault.”
He added: “We’ve inherited a service that is in distress and we absolutely recognise that it is our problem to solve, and we are absolutely committed to solving it. We now own this problem. It’s ours to fix at pace, in partnership with the Cabinet Office who are supporting us through this process.”
CSPA continues to assist members experiencing difficulties in attempting to contact the administrators to resolve their pension queries and issues. Our Pensions Manager is able to escalate the most serious cases, and we have recently been provided with information to enable to signpost members seeking access to temporary transitional support loans whilst awaiting their pension payments. CSPA officers meet regularly with Cabinet Office officials in the pensions team, and are urgently seeking to establish the necessary contacts within Capita to escalate and resolve members’ more serious issues expediently.
