Capita left to take care of 13,000 civil service pension circumstances over a 12 months outdated

Capita was left with 13,000 civil service pension circumstances that had been over one 12 months outdated when it took over the administration of the scheme in December 2025, MPs on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) have been advised.

Moreover, the MPs heard that the earlier administrator, whereas on its manner out, suggested members to name again with queries as soon as Capita had taken over, including to the complexity of the backlog.

Final month, it was revealed that Capita inherited 1000’s of unread emails and tens of millions of database errors when it took over from the earlier scheme administrator, MyCSP, and additional challenges have now been revealed.

Capita was advised to arrange for a backlog of as much as 100,000 circumstances – it inherited 89,000. However the outsourcing big harassed that many circumstances required extra work than anticipated attributable to their lengthy unresolved standing and the variety of unrecorded circumstances.

In 2023, the Cupboard Workplace awarded Capita a seven-year contract value £239m to manage the Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS), which has 1.7 million members.

In October 2025, via a PAC report, MPs flagged issues that Capita wouldn’t be able to take over the pension scheme’s administration from MyCSP by 1 December 2025.

Then, in January, an HM Income & Customs troubleshooter was introduced in to steer an “pressing restoration plan” because the pension scheme skilled difficulties.

Within the newest PAC listening to, Chris Clements, managing director of Capita Pension Options, expanded on the causes of the issues it had skilled because it took on the contract.

He said that 13,000 circumstances within the inherited backlog had been pending for over a 12 months, contributing to delays in resolving the backlog.

“After we had been advised [about the backlog], we deliberate upon it being what I might name a traditional however giant work in progress,” he stated. “What which means is {that a} regular work in progress could be 4 or 5 days of labor for the operation, a big work in progress, possibly two or three weeks of labor, and you’re employed via that backlog.”

However Clements stated in these situations, no particular person case could be older than a couple of month. “You do the primary in first, so that you’d preserve that churning via, and that’s what we deliberate on, and that’s the useful resource that we scaled up,” he stated. Nonetheless, when Capita obtained the small print on taking on, it realised many circumstances had been a lot older.

“Once you get an outdated case, the extent of emotion connected to that case and the pace you must take care of it’s a lot greater,” he stated. Because of this, the brand new administrator needed to take care of these 13,000 very outdated circumstances first.

Past these outdated circumstances inflicting delays, there have been issues with name volumes, which Clements stated had been the results of the earlier administrator, MyCSP, advising scheme members to name again as soon as Capita took over.

He stated Capita was anticipating about 8,000 cellphone calls within the first week of operation, however it obtained 25,000. “Over 17% of these calls advised us that they’d been advised to go away and name again when Capita had taken over,” stated Clements.

This meant Capita was not solely experiencing extra complicated and older circumstances, which had greater emotional content material for the members as a result of they’d been ready so lengthy, but additionally some circumstances had been unrecorded as a result of they’d known as beforehand and been advised to name again, defined Clements.

Initially of the listening to, PAC chair Geoffrey Clifton-Brown stated: “We should do not forget that the Cupboard Workplace and MyCSP, respectively, are additionally chargeable for the scheme and the state that it’s presently in.”

One former civil servant affected by the lengthy delays stated: “Capita’s line on the mess left by MyCSP has been the identical since this primary kicked off, they usually might nicely have a degree. But when so, then MyCSP should be held accountable for handing over a shitshow, and the Cupboard Workplace wants to clarify why the danger was not adequately thought of or mitigated of their due diligence course of.”

Through the listening to, Capita promised that the pension scheme administration, which has seen big delays in paying members attributable to a botched service supplier change, could be again to regular providers by June.

Richard Holroyd, CEO of Capita’s public providers division, offered an replace, telling MPs that Capita has cleared all 15,000 unread emails and made progress on closing circumstances.

“Since 1 December, Capita has cleared and closed 145,000 circumstances. Over the previous month, we’ve cleared probably the most acute member dangers – dying in service and in poor health well being processing are again to regular ranges,” he added. “While challenges stay, we’re seeing progress and anticipate providers to enhance within the coming months.”

Holroyd reiterated a dedication to return to regular service ranges by June.