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FDA calls for rapid improvement following “unacceptable” pension administrator performance

Following the transfer of administration of the civil service pension scheme from MyCSP to Capita at the end of last year, the FDA continue to hear from hundreds of current and retired members who are continuing to be impacted by service levels.

Issues raised about the administrator include members who have just retired or are about to retire imminently, sometimes without clarity on what their pension will be or when it will be paid.

Responding to members’ experiences, FDA Assistant General Secretary Adrian Prandle told Civil Service World that members have been left “without clarity on what their pension will be or when it will be paid.”

As quoted in the i paper, Prandle added:

“This is unacceptable. To make life-changing decisions about retirement or leaving the civil service relies on accurate and timely information from the pension administrator. Our members cannot expect to put their lives on hold any longer.”

In a message to FDA members, the Assistant General Secretary outlined how the union is pushing for an improved service for members:

“We remain in very regular contact with Cabinet Office to highlight members’ experiences and press for rapid improvement from Capita. The FDA also pushed for representatives from Capita to be present at the last meeting of 2025 so we were able to convey to them directly the major impact this poor service is having on members’ retirement plans and personal lives. It is clear as we start 2026 that faster solutions are required.

“In our meetings with the Cabinet Office, the FDA has also been able to secure an escalation route to raise cases with immediate financial implications with Capita, though this too is now dealing with high volumes of cases. We also continue to push the Cabinet Office and Capita for greater speed and accuracy to support members’ retirements and deal with the barriers resulting from the scheme administrators’ service.

“We are in regular contact with departments, employers and other trade unions who, like the FDA, remain concerned about the slow service at a time when there are voluntary exit schemes, mergers, and reorganisations taking place across the civil service.”

Current or associate FDA members experiencing issues with the pensions administrator can contact the union at pensions@fda.org.uk.

Unions write to Cabinet Office

The FDA, along with other civil service unions, have written to the Cabinet Office to seek answers about how Capita are committing to clearing the backlog of almost 90,000 cases.

The letter calls for Capita to be given an unequivocal deadline for clearing the backlog. The service must be properly resourced in order to ensure the backlog is cleared rapidly and accurately, and the level of service matches what unions have been assured of.

Unions have also called for the Cabinet Office to share selected high-level management information on the scheme’s performance, in relation to the payment of pensions and lump sums for each of the last 12 months, amid concerns of the performance of the scheme’s primary business.

The letter also questions how cases have been prioritised. At recent meetings, unions have been told priority would be given to cases involving “exits”. Civil service chief operating officer Cat Little stated last year that around 5,000 officials are expected to leave the civil service by the end of the financial year.

The FDA has argued that prioritising cases to adhere to self-imposed deadlines around exits is arbitrary and priority should instead be given to cases with immediate financial consequences for members – such as hardship cases, those who are imminently retiring, or bereavement cases.

We have also called on the Cabinet Office to proactively open a compensation scheme for cases of serious delay in the payment of pensions and lump sums covering the distress and inconvenience caused, interest on late payments, and invite members to provide evidence of increased associated costs incurred.

We will update members on the outcome of this letter as soon as we are able to.

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