Advice and support

Pensions

A pension means security in retirement. That is why the FDA is dedicated to protecting and improving yours.    

Ongoing crisis of administration of Civil Service Pensions Scheme and Capita


The latest Taskforce update indicates that we will not receive another update until after the ministerial update to parliament.

We understand the desire to give members substantive updates, however transparency and access to regular and accurate information is vital for us and affected members to track progress and adequately hold Capita to account.

This is why we have requested that the Cabinet Office – in addition to our weekly meetings and regular written Taskforce updates – provide us with a breadth of data around service delivery to improve transparency, allowing us to properly track the recovery and intervene where necessary.

Our members – even those not immediately impacted by the crisis – have lost trust in the administration of the scheme. This cannot be rebuilt without increased transparency to demonstrate improvements.
 

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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.

Pensions Guidance

Need some advice?

FDA members are entitled to a free consultation with a financial advisor via FDA Portfolio.

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Problem with your pension?

Are you a member who needs the FDA’s help?

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Pension tax relief

Find out how the tax regime impacts FDA members’ pension savings.

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Transfer from MyCSP to Capita

Important information regarding transfer of scheme administrator.

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McCloud judgement and remedy

Members can access our FAQs on the McCloud and Sargeant judgments, and on the Treasury’s consultation on public sector pensions.

Annual Benefit Statements 2026

Guidance and advice for members who have experienced issues with their ABSs.

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Alpha pension calculator

Following the absence of accurate ABS, FDA developed a tool to forecast your Alpha pension from 1 April 2022 onwards

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Gender Pension Gap

The FDA and other civil service unions are calling on the government to take steps to tackle the Gender Pension Gap.

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HELP

FAQs

What is a defined benefit civil service pension?

The majority of new starters in the civil service are auto-enrolled into the Alpha scheme, part of the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Alpha is a defined benefit scheme, specifically it is a career average scheme. You may also hear the terms ‘CARE’ (Career Average Revalued Earnings). 

This means your retirement income is based on your salary and length of service, rather than investment performance. In practice, this means you build up a guaranteed income for life, calculated using a set formula rather than the value of a pension pot that rises and falls with the stock market. In the case of the civil service schemes that formula is: Pension = Membership x Accrual Rate x Pensionable Pay. This makes it more stable and predictable than many private sector defined contribution pensions.

Can the FDA give me personal financial advice about my pension?

FDA reps can provide information about your pension scheme and your options, but they are not authorised financial advisers and cannot give personal financial or tax advice. However, FDA members are entitled to a free consultation with an independent financial adviser through FDA Portfolio, our member discounts programme. Find out more here.