Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when his department plans to answer the named day written questions, A.) UIN 109563, B.) UIN 109560 C.) UIN 109563 tabled in my name on the 29th January.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

A response has been issued here and here.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the evidence given by Paymaster General at the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee session on 28 January 2026, whether there is any provision in the contract awarded to Capita to administer the civil service pension scheme to allow the recoup of costs from that company for (a) loans and (b) compensation paid to individuals impacted by the delays to that scheme.

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 has made lump sum payments to 8,979 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.

It should be noted that these loans are provided by the employer and not the Cabinet Office. There is no provision in the contract for cost recovery from Capita as the loan will be fully repaid directly by the member on receipt of their pension payment.

Interest will be paid on delayed benefits to avoid financial loss by members. In addition, the existing statutory complaints process evaluates claims for financial losses, as well as distress and inconvenience caused, on a case-by-case basis to determine whether compensation is due. This ensures that any retiree who provides evidence of extra costs, such as bank penalties or interest charges caused by the delay, is fairly assessed. This process is run in accordance with the standards set by the Pensions Ombudsman.

Whilst there is no contractual mechanism to specifically recover compensation costs under consideration, there are significant and robust contractual performance indicators built into the contract and these include financial penalties for underperformance.

Furthermore, Capita remains subject to all SLAs within the contract. We are applying the full mechanism of service credits for performance failures, and we continue to explore all commercial avenues to hold them to account for the quality of their delivery.

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

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Ruth Cadbury (Chair); Steff Aquarone; Dr Scott Arthur; Mrs Elsie

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Ruth Cadbury (Chair); Steff Aquarone; Dr Scott Arthur; Mrs Elsie

Found: Transport Select Committee House of Commons London SW1A 0AA 23 April 2026 Dear Ruth Cadbury

Found: Yours sincerely, Ruth Cadbury MP Chair, Transport Committee Cc Florence Eshalomi MP, Chair, Housing

Found: Transport Committee member present: Ruth Cadbury.

Found: Current membership Ruth Cadbury (Labour; Brentford and Isleworth) (Chair) Steff Aquarone (Liberal Democrat

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Ruth Cadbury (Chair); Steff Aquarone; Dr Scott Arthur; Mrs Elsie

Found: Ruth Cadbury MP Chair, Transport Committee House of Commons London SW1A 0AA Rt

Found: 2HP www.gov.uk 17 April 2026 Ruth Cadbury

Found: Earlier this week I met Ruth Cadbury, the Chair of the Transport Committee, and one of our staff is