Committee publication · Correspondence · 21 April 2026

Letter from Cat Little CB to Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP, Chair, Public Accounts Committee and Chair of PACAC on data breach concerning Civil Service Pension Scheme annual benefit statements, dated 14.4.26

From: Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee

Summary

The Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary writes to the chairs of PAC and PACAC regarding a data breach affecting Civil Service Pension Scheme annual benefit statements. The breach has been formally reported to the Information Commissioner's Office. The Cabinet Office has instructed Capita, the scheme administrator, to provide assurance on preventative measures and a comprehensive technical account of the root cause by 30 March.

Key findings

  • A data breach occurred involving Civil Service Pension Scheme annual benefit statements administered by Capita
  • The Cabinet Office formally notified the Information Commissioner's Office of the breach
  • Capita was instructed to provide absolute assurance on steps to prevent recurrence
  • A comprehensive technical account of the incident's root cause was expected from Capita on 30 March 2026

Tone

Factual

Topics

data-securitypublic-pensionscivil-serviceinformation-governance

Key actors

Catherine Little CB, Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP, Simon Hoare MP, Capita, Cabinet Office, Information Commissioner's Office

Notable line

I am deeply disappointed by the unacceptable data breach involving the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Key Quotes

I am deeply disappointed by the unacceptable data breach involving the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
Catherine Little CB · Opening statement on the breach
I have asked the CEO of Capita to provide absolute assurance of the steps taken to ensure this never happens again.
Catherine Little CB · Outlining Cabinet Office response
We take this matter extremely seriously and are expecting a comprehensive technical account from Capita regarding the root cause of the incident on 30 March.
Catherine Little CB · Stating expectations for investigation
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Source · parliament.uk record ↗