Advice and support
Pensions
A pension means security in retirement. That is why the FDA is dedicated to protecting and improving yours.
Ongoing issues with Capita and administration of Civil Service Pensions Scheme
Since Capita assumed responsibility for CSPS administration on 1 December 2025, widespread delays and errors have affected newly retired and retiring members, including delayed pension payments, lack of clarity on pension values, and slow case progression. Read more about the scale of the issues.
We continue to support members and push for improved service levels following period of unprecedented issues. Read more about how the FDA is supporting members through pension issues.
The FDA is providing members will regular updates on our engagement with Capita and Cabinet Office and the progress of the civil service-led Recovery Taskforce via our weekly all member emails sent each Thursday. You can read abridged version of this week’s update below:
Data breach – Annual Benefit Statements (ABS)
The FDA has been made aware by Capita of a data breach that took place last week. An issue that occurred on the Civil Service Pensions Scheme (CSPS) member portal for around 35 minutes on 30 March 2026, which meant that 138 CSPS members either received personal ABS data belonging to other members and/or had their personal data seen by other members. 73 members saw other members’ data, 40 had their data shared with another scheme member, and 25 have their data shared and could view other scheme members data.
All affected CSPS members should have been written to before 3 April 2026 via secure message. If you have not heard from Capita/ the CSPS administration team, your data was not affected.
This incident comes at a time when confidence in Capita and the administration of CSPS is already severely damaged. The FDA will continue to use our weekly engagement with Capita and the Cabinet Office to gain new reassurances for members about the security of their data and preventing incidents like this from happening again. We will also be pushing for information about when you can expect the ABS function to be reinstated on the portal.
The FDA is committed to ensuring each and every one of its members receives a fair pension when they retire.
Whether you are a member of the current civil service Partnership or Alpha schemes, the former Classic, Classic Plus, Premium and Nuvos legacy schemes, or a completely different pension scheme, the FDA has the expert knowledge and bargaining power to help ensure your future economic security.
We help secure better pensions for FDA members by:
- Negotiating for better pensions across government, including reforms to the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
- Working with departments and other civil service employers to protect members’ pension benefits and holding the Cabinet Office and Capita to account to ensure service levels improve following the transfer of administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
- Solving individual members’ issues and ensuring our members receive the benefits they are entitled to and correct advice when planning for the future. We help members with their pension problems, from those caused by administrative error to those arising from early or ill health retirement. We also offer guidance on a range of pension subjects, including annual and lifetime allowances and pension tax relief.
- Providing members with a free consultation with an independent financial advisor, where they can discuss their pensions, via FDA Portfolio – our members discounts programme.
- Taking an active role in the governance of civil service pensions, with FDA representatives having seats on the Civil Service Pensions Board, the Civil Service Pension Scheme Advisory Board and the Joint Superannuation Committee with the Cabinet Office.
- Working with the TUC and public service unions to protect and improve the provision of public service pensions.
Please do not ask your FDA reps for personal financial advice. They can provide you with information about your pension and your options but they are not financial advisers. Your reps are not accredited to provide income tax or financial advice, and they are not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority to give advice.
McCloud judgment and remedy
The FDA will continue to keep members updated on the government’s plans for addressing the age discrimination as found in the McCloud judgment. In the meantime, members can access our FAQs on the McCloud and Sargeant judgments, and on the Treasury’s consultation on public sector pensions.
Gender Pension Gap Day
‘Gender Pension Gap Day‘ represents the point of the year that an average retired woman would run out of pension income if she was receiving it at the same rate as an average retired man. This year it took place on 21 August. It is based on research showing the gender pension gap in the UK is 36.5% – more than double the country’s gender pay gap. And it’s even worse for civil servants: the latest actuarial valuation of this scheme showed a gender gap of 45%. The FDA has raised this directly with the civil service scheme and is supporting a union initiative to close the gender pension gap for civil servants.
Some progress is being made. The local government pension scheme consulted on proposals that would close its gender gap significantly. We need the Cabinet Office to adopt these for the civil service scheme.
The FDA will continue to press for progress on behalf of members, and we are encouraging members to sign this petition in support of these efforts.
Pensions Guidance
Need some advice?
FDA members are entitled to a free consultation with a financial advisor via FDA Portfolio.
Find out how the tax regime impacts FDA members’ pension savings.
Important information regarding transfer of scheme administrator.