Asked by: Allison Gardner (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent South)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of extending the Hardship Fund to all members eligible to receive civil service pensions.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.
The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension benefits are unacceptable. We want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.
While Capita committed to a complete return to standard contractual service levels by the end of June 2026, they have failed to meet this critical milestone. The Government is taking robust action to hold Capita to account. This includes withholding £9.9 million in contract payments for undelivered milestones, alongside confirmation that the Government surge team costs will be recovered directly from Capita. To enforce strict compliance, independent auditors are being deployed to conduct a technical systems review, and an on-the-ground Remedial Adviser is being appointed at Capita’s expense. Further commercial, legal, and operational options remain on the table during the consideration of long-term structural delivery options.
Capita has issued lump sum payments to 19,362 retired members awaiting their regular pensions, whilst the scheme continues to pay approximately 730,000 existing pensioners on time. To alleviate immediate hardship, employers have issued £16.2 million in Transitional Support Loans to 2,932 members, alongside interest-free bridging loans, ranging from £5,000 to an increased cap of £20,000. Members will fully repay these bridging loans upon receipt of their formal pension payments.
Existing civil servants who have partially retired or a civil servant who retired from 1 January 2025, can contact their employer to access the transitional support loan. The provision of these loans will continue while delays persist.
Pension scheme members not in scope of this loan scheme but who are at risk of experiencing financial hardship due to the delayed payment of their pension, should contact Capita and highlight the financial impact of these delays. Capita will then prioritise resolution of these cases.
For compensation, there is also a statutory complaints process that evaluates claims for financial loss, distress, and inconvenience on a case-by-case basis and is operated in strict accordance with the standards set by the Pensions Ombudsman.
Asked by: Allison Gardner (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent South)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of workplace disability adjustments for visually impaired employees.
Answered by Nia Griffith
The Equality Act 2010 (the Act) provides protection against disability discrimination. This protection ensures any person with a condition that meets the Act’s definition of disability - that is, “a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-day activities” will be covered.
As is with all provisions under the Act, it is for a person who feels that they have been discriminated against (including an alleged failure to make a reasonable adjustment) to make a claim against a service provider or employer.