Civil service pensions- what a fucking farce!

[MissCooCooMcgoo]

My mum died in March. They were notified literally on the day by her manager. We are now in July and they have been the most unhelpful, frustrating people I have ever had the misfortune to deal with!

I called 4 weeks ago and they assured me they had everything from me they needed only to chase today to be told they want more information including my decree absolute from my first marriage? WHY do they need this information from 14 years ago?

My mum kept her information updated and they have me down as the beneficiary with my married name of the last 12 years.

Anyone else had to deal with this shitshow? They should be ashamed. All of this is hard enough as it is.

My experience is that there is no point using the email service at all- you wait 8 weeks then get a response that just demonstrates they haven’t read your email properly. They have me down as having to e wrong employer and wrong pay and I’ve been trying to get it sorted since January - tried by email, waited ages and then just got a reply apologising for having recorded me under the wrong job title (couldn’t care less about the job title, do care that they’re unaware of my salary and employer so can’t accurately track what I’m accruing). Waste of time.The phone service means a long wait but once you get through they do at least attempt to help IME.

My mum has been waiting over a year.

I sent off the original p/w with death and marriage certificate; they wrote back saying they needed certificates. I put them in the envelope myself!

Every month it's some other excuse. Our local MP is now chasing them on her behalf and they have been great.

Three weeks ago Capita told them it had all been sorted and once the amount was checked it would be on its way in two weeks...no sign of anything.

They (MP) update every week (basically saying so far 'no news' but at least they're trying).

@MissCooCooMcgoo Another vote for getting your MP on the case. My DH put in his retirement request November 25 but retracted it in February 26 because of the Capita mess. He contacted our MP and then tried again for retirement from end of June 26. We had a quote a couple of months ago then finalisation/payment in the last week. The MP is in contact with Capita on a weekly basis about constituents’ grievances and it seems to have helped keep the issues on Capita’s radar. I’m very sorry for the loss of your mum and I hope you can get this sorted very soon.

Im sorry for your troubles.
I began receiving my (very tiny) UK Civil Service Pension a good few years ago, into my Irish bank. It’s been fantastically smooth always.
You know Crapita have recently taken over the operation though? I was sick with anxiety, expecting cockups to begin, payments to be irregular, but all that occurred was a slightly earlier payment date each month.
I imagine my €200 a month is firmly embedded in the system, and Crapita need not tinker with things, but in your case it’s a different story. Lump sum payment and any other arrangements must be arranged from scratch, and that’s the weak point.

As everyone is saying, apply pressure via your MP (and whoever is this week’s relevant government minister, for extra heft)
Hope you get things sorted swiftly; this nonsense is the last thing you need.

That’s when I got mine, and it was a most efficient process even though I no longer lived in England. Not a single hitch ever since (touch wood)
I was gobsmacked to read they’d contracted all of this out; it ought to be illegal on the grounds of privacy at least. The Civil Service should have no truck with private sector providers in such matters.
God knows what Capita do with the mountains of personal info they amass through all their wonky operations across the UK. .

Are you following the intervention updates?
They’re worth keeping an eye on if you’re not already. Then you’ll know whether you’re in the bracket that’s in theory sorted, or whether still in the backlog.

We need an Alan Bates (PO Horizon scandal)

I've had an acknowledgement back from Juliet Campbell so let's see if it gets any results.

I am so sick of waiting. Still waiting for probate too. I just want it all to be over with.

Response from the office of Juliet Campbell:

Dear MissCooCooMcgoo,

Thank you for your email, and I am sorry I was unable to respond sooner.

Juliet is very sorry to hear about the issues you are facing with Capita regarding your mother's Civil Service Pension and she appreciates the strain this will have put you under.

In the first instance, Juliet has contacted the Civil Service Pension Scheme to ask that your mother's case is reviewed at the earliest opportunity so you are able to access the funds you are entitled to. She has stressed the long delay you have faced as well as the impact of this delay on you. I will get back in contact with you just as soon as Juliet receives a reply.

Juliet also understands this is a widespread issue with Capita’s running of the Civil Service Pension Scheme and agrees with the former Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office, Satvir Kaur MP, that these failures are unacceptable.

If in the meantime Juliet can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact her.

Kind regards,
Assistant of Juliet Campbell

So, about as effective as a wet lettuce.

Called them again yesterday, still unable to provide an update.

I am so sick of it now.

Only death in service. To.your spouse or dependent children/ young adults. Most pensions offer this

@Attheendofthenight ?

Sorry I dont know how to quote. Cs pensions are not inherited,in the way property is.

I’m pretty close to this as current CS with several colleagues waiting for quotes or payment. One person got his quote on time a couple of weeks ago. One got their lump sum after waiting a year. One bereaved beneficiary got their widow’s pension after 14 months.
So they are slowly producing some results and some people are getting what they need. All I can advise is that calling and involving MPs doesn’t seem to affect anything. It just grinds on.
Would be worth trying to document any financial losses you’ve incurred by not getting payment on time in readiness for the inevitable compensation claims that will be lodged when the dust dies down.
I want to partially retire next year and really hoping things improve!

I’m sorry but I can categorically state that they were NOT any good before capita took over! I claimed one of mine (I have two) in 2019 and it was one of the most stressful awful times of
my life. I did get it eventually but the amount of times they lost things, didn’t contact me, sent me the wrong forms etc was ridiculous. And every time I called them I waited over an hour to speak to someone.

Trying to claim my second one now. I applied in February and they haven’t even sent me my pension forecast yet. No response to emails in all the time. It’s actually astonishing that it could be worse than it was before!

If you are in financial hardship as a result there are interest free loans available.