Committee publication · Correspondence · 9 February 2026
Letter from the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee to the Permanent Secretary at the Cabinet Office relating to the Administration of the Civil Service Pensions Scheme, 09 February 2026
From: Public Accounts Committee
Inquiry: Civil service pensions
Summary
The Public Accounts Committee Chair writes to the Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary on 9 February 2026 regarding failures in the MyCSP-to-Capita transition for civil service pensions. The letter acknowledges the Permanent Secretary's January response and recovery efforts, confirms the Committee's concerns about intolerable service levels harming scheme members and civil service operations, and requests clarification on two rejected recommendations concerning employee voice and commercial strategy by 16 February.
Key findings
- Scheme members are experiencing intolerable levels of service under Capita administration, with knock-on effects obstructing voluntary exit schemes.
- The Cabinet Office is supplying bridging funds to those most seriously affected and implementing urgent recovery actions.
- Capita's two-year handover period did not ensure adequate preparation for the transition; the Committee will examine why on 12 February.
- The Cabinet Office rejected recommendations 4 and 6 from the October 2025 report; the Committee seeks clarification on both, particularly why employee voice recognition (Recommendation 4) was rejected and whether in-housing pension administration was genuinely considered (Recommendation 6).
- Some scheme members face hardship retirement due to pension administrator failures; the Committee remains concerned about service levels and impact on promised March 2026 online functionality rollout.
Tone
CriticalTopics
Key actors
Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP, Cat Little CB, Cabinet Office, Capita, Public Accounts Committee, Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, Comptroller and Auditor General
Notable line
“We agree that members of the scheme are currently experiencing intolerable levels of service and that these failings are having additional negative impacts across the civil service, for example …”
Key Quotes
“We agree that members of the scheme are currently experiencing intolerable levels of service and that these failings are having additional negative impacts across the civil service, for example …”
“We will use that session to understand why Capita was not suitably prepared for this transition after a two-year handover process and to question them …”
“We remain considerably concerned about the level of service being provided and the effect it is having on those who are currently due to retire into hardship on account of the failings of their pension administrator.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗