Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that adequate levels of customer service are maintained by MyCSP during the transfer of the Civil Service Pension Scheme administration to Capita.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet 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 quotes are unacceptable. I 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.
Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
Capita prioritised the most urgent cases and by the end of February, all death in service cases were either settled or progressed to the final stage or awaiting a member response. The same position was reached for ill health retirement applications by mid-March.
Capita has made lump sum payments to 8,747 members, the majority of whom have retired but are not yet receiving their pension, and are on track to bring these members into regular pension payments by the end of April.
To provide immediate financial support to those who may need it, arrangements are in place for interest-free bridging loans typically up to £5,000 or £10,000 in exceptional cases to most recent retirees facing payment delays. This is alongside interim lump sum payments being made to provide immediate funds to retiring members. The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on time.
The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department holds data relating to (a) average hold time when calling Capita customer services regarding Civil Service Pensions and (b) number of callers who end their calls while waiting on hold.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet 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 quotes are unacceptable. I 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.
Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
Capita prioritised the most urgent cases and by the end of February, all death in service cases were either settled or progressed to the final stage or awaiting a member response. The same position was reached for ill health retirement applications by mid-March.
The Cabinet Office monitors the performance of the Civil Service Pension Scheme administrator, Capita, through regular service level reporting. This includes metrics relating to contact centre performance, such as average call wait times and call abandonment rates.
In the week commencing 20 March 2026, the average wait time was 2 minutes and 3 seconds, with 70% of calls answered in less than 30 seconds. Improvements are still to be made to ensure calls are answered as per the agreed contractual rate.
Senior representatives from Capita appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on 26 March 2026 to provide evidence on the administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme. During this session, Capita committed to providing the Committee with specific data on recent call-handling performance and member experience.
Regarding the volume of calls disconnected after a conversation has commenced, referred to during the PAC hearing as 'calls dropped partway through', Capita has committed to providing this specific data to the Committee in writing.
Progress on the recovery plan and the latest available performance updates are also published regularly on:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish his Department's Service Level Agreement with Capita regarding the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Office maintains rigorous oversight of the Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS) administration contract with Capita. While the Department does not publish the full, granular Service Level Agreement (SLA) documents as these contain commercially sensitive metrics and proprietary service modelling information, the core requirements regarding payment accuracy, timeliness of processing, and complaint resolution are outlined within the contract’s Statement of Requirements to ensure transparency.
These standards are designed to ensure members receive a high-quality service, with financial deductions (service credits) applied should the provider fail to meet these thresholds.
Further information regarding the contract's scope and performance expectations can be found on GOV.UK Contracts Finder at the following link:
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of delaying by one year the transfer of the responsibility to make support scheme payments from the Infected Blood Support Schemes (IBSS) to the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) on infected people who have not yet received any support payments due to ineligibility for the England IBSS, but who are eligible under new IBCA regulations.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The eligibility criteria for infected people for the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme, established by the Government, are different from the eligibility criteria for the Infected Blood Support Schemes (IBSS). Only those who are receiving support scheme payments from the IBSS will be eligible to continue receiving these payments as part of their wider compensation paid by the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA), if they choose to do so.
The delay of the transfer will therefore not impact the compensation available to infected people who were never registered with IBSS. IBCA opened its service to the first claims from infected people who were not registered with IBSS in November.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of infected blood victims who (a) are not registered with a compensation scheme, (b) fall outside the cut-off dates but are eligible for compensation and (c) have not received an interim payment.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Due to the nature of the Infected Blood scandal there is uncertainty over the number of people who might be eligible for compensation. Early estimates made within the Cabinet Office of those who are infected were that there are approximately 8,500 to 16,500 infected individuals, both living and deceased, who would claim. Of these, approximately 3,500 are currently living and registered with an Infected Blood Support Scheme. However, the final number of eligible people will ultimately depend on the number of victims who come forward. There is no limit or target on the amount announced for the scheme and each eligible person will get the compensation they are due.
The Infected Blood Compensation Scheme does not have hard cut off dates based on someone’s infection after which they will not be eligible. There are dates set out in the 2025 Regulations based on when routine screening became available. Those infected after the dates specified in the regulations will not be excluded from the scheme, as long as they can provide evidence that they received infected blood or blood products.
To date, the Government has paid over £1.2 billion in interim compensation payments to infected people, bereaved partners and estates of those who have very sadly died due to infected blood. Over 500 interim payments have been paid to the estates of deceased infected people, totalling over £50 million, and applications for interim payments to estates are still open.
As of 3 June, IBCA has contacted 1,360 people to start their compensation claim, and 981 have started the claim process. 324 offers of compensation have been made, totalling over £253 million, and so far 218 people have accepted their offers with more than £166 million paid in compensation.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Establishing the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme in Regulations, published on 23 August 2024, what his planned timetable is to publish the second set of regulations to provide for the payment of compensation to affected persons; and whether a target date has been set for when compensation payments will begin.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Subject to Parliamentary approval, the Government is aiming for the second set of Regulations to be in place by 31 March 2025 to support our intention that people who are affected can start receiving payment next year.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when applications for the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme will open to those infected after the cut-off date of 1991.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Infected Blood Compensation Scheme Regulations 2024, approved by Parliament in October, do not set out hard cut-off dates for determining whether a person is eligible for compensation based on when their infection was acquired. However, the evidence requirements will be higher where a person was infected after the introduction of screening of blood, blood products and tissue. The Infected Blood Compensation Authority opened the compensation scheme to a small number of people in October to allow the Authority to test the service, with further invitations, as part of this testing approach, to be sent between now and January. The claim service for compensation is being designed and delivered now, starting small and scaling up as quickly as possible, to make payments. Dates for the roll out of the service to larger numbers of people will be determined and communicated by the Infected Blood Compensation Authority.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reason he has maintained the cut-off dates for the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Infected Blood Compensation Scheme does not have hard cut-off dates for determining whether a person is eligible for compensation based on when their infection was acquired. However, the evidence requirements will be higher where a person was infected after the introduction of screening of blood, blood products and tissue. The dates for the introduction of screening are November 1985 for HIV infection, September 1991 for Hepatitis C infection and December 1972 for Hepatitis B infection. Those whose infection fell outside of these date ranges would still be eligible as long as they can satisfy the Infected Blood Compensation Authority that the infected blood treatment caused the person to become infected with that infection. It is intended that the Authority’s approach to applications will be to be as proactive and sympathetic as possible, and consistent with appropriate and proportionate safeguarding of the integrity of the scheme.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the policy paper entitled Infected Blood Compensation Scheme overview: Living infected persons, published on 23 August 2024, when he plans to publish further evidence requirements for people infected with Hepatitis C after 1991.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Under the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme, there are two ways for a directly infected individual to show eligibility, depending on the date of infection. For those infected during the specified date ranges, they only need to show that they received infected blood treatment during the date ranges and were subsequently diagnosed with a relevant infection. Those whose infection fell outside of the specified date ranges (which includes those who were infected with Hepatitis C after 1991) must also satisfy the Infected Blood Compensation Authority that the infected blood treatment caused the person to become infected with that infection. This is the higher evidence requirement referred to in the summary document published in August 2024, as set out in Regulation 7 of The Infected Blood Compensation Scheme Regulations 2024. It is intended that the Authority’s approach to applications will be to be as proactive and sympathetic as possible, and consistent with appropriate and proportionate safeguarding of the integrity of the scheme.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will take steps to ensure that information on the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme Summary gov.uk webpage remains (a) readily available, (b) accessible to the public and (c) up to date.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government is committed to ensuring there is regular communication with the public on infected blood. We will ensure that the gov.uk pages are regularly reviewed and updated to ensure the information remains up to date and correct. The Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) also sends out a regular newsletter to those interested in the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme and also has a helpline available for the community to contact.