Asked by: Derek Twigg (Labour - Widnes and Halewood)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what action he is taking to decrease the time taken to provide information and payments in respect of the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.
The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.
Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update (2 March 2026) is available at this weblink: (latest update 16 March): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-update-16-march-2026
The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on time.
Asked by: Derek Twigg (Labour - Widnes and Halewood)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he plans to respond to Question 106941 tabled by the hon. Member for Widnes and Halewood on 20 January 2026.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
A response has been issued here.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what is the cost of Arm's Length Bodies to the public purse for the latest year for which data is available.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The UK government budgeted £369.78 billion for arms length bodies in the financial year 2023-24. 67% of this went to NHS England and the Education and Skills Funding Agency, which will both be repatriated to their parent departments.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether she has made an assessment of the comparative costs of greenhouse gas emissions reporting across the Government estate relative to the emissions reductions achieved as a result of those activities.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
This information is not available. GPA do not manage the greenhouse gas emissions data and reporting across all of the government estate.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the cost to the public purse has been for the recruitment and deployment of reconciliation teams from other Departments to assist Capita in managing the backlog of pension queries; and whether this cost will be recovered from Capita through contractual clawback provisions.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS) to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.
The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery.
For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication to ensure members receive the support they deserve. While the immediate focus remains on stabilising the service through this intensive recovery plan, we are committed to ensuring all staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.
Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
Furthermore, any service failures attract penalties which reduce the overall cost of the contract. While the specific financial values of commercial transactions remain confidential, the Cabinet Office has already withheld significant transition milestone payments due to missed deliverables and continues to apply the full mechanism of service credits for performance failures. Capita also remains responsible for any additional expenses incited. The Cabinet Office will continue to use all available commercial levers to hold Capita to account and ensure they deliver the contractual service levels.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he has taken to ensure that members of the Civil Service Pension Scheme with outstanding cases are informed of the latest developments regarding the management of the scheme.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.
The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery.
For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication to ensure members receive the support they deserve. While the immediate focus remains on stabilising the service through this intensive recovery plan, we are committed to ensuring all staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.
We are applying contractual levers available to us to deal with performance failures, and we continue to explore all commercial avenues to hold them to account for the quality of their delivery. For example, existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita’s performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
Capitas contact centre has seen a significant increase in successful member interactions, achieving a 99% answer rate on 4 and 5 March. This increased accessibility ensures that members can engage with the service as the team continues to prioritise and read through the email queues.
This improved member contact is backed by a focus on critical cases. All death-in-service and ill-health retirement cases have been addressed, and over 6,000 inherited lump sum payments were cleared by 8 March. Progress updates have been shared internally via Angela MacDonald’s sprint updates and externally through GOV.UK and the Civil Service Pensions website.
The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update (16 March 2026) is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-update-16-march-2026
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what financial penalties have been applied to (a) MyCSP and (b) Capita on the management of the Civil Service Pension Scheme to date.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.
The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery.
For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication to ensure members receive the support they deserve. While the immediate focus remains on stabilising the service through this intensive recovery plan, we are committed to ensuring all staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.
Furthermore, Capita remains subject to all service level agreements (SLAs) within the contract, which includes system access and timely payments. We are applying contractual levers available to us to deal with performance failures, and we continue to explore all commercial avenues to hold them to account for the quality of their delivery. For example, existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita’s performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update (2 March 2026) is available at this weblink: (latest update 16 March): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-update-16-march-2026
MyCSP ceased as the administrator of the scheme in December 2025 upon transfer to Capita. I can confirm that MyCSP were also subject to SLAs and the full mechanism for service credits for performance failures were applied when required.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether any changes are being made to the requirements of Whitehall departments and their agencies to publish trade union facility time information in their annual report and accounts, and the broader collection of such data by departments.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The current published HMT financial reporting manual (FReM) requires organisations in scope of FReM to report facility time data in their annual accounts. However, the FReM requirement is linked to the Trade Union (Facility Time Publication Requirements) Regulations 2017. These regulations were repealed on 18 February 2026, when the relevant provisions of the Employment Rights Act 2025 came into force.
Therefore, Whitehall departments and agencies do not need to report facility time in their accounts published following the repeal.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether any individual from outside the Civil Service was shortlisted in the (a) competition for the previous Cabinet Secretary and (b) use of the reserve list for the new Cabinet Secretary.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
I refer to my answer for 113705, in accordance with data protection regulations, we do not provide information about candidates in Civil Service recruitment processes.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many retired civil servants are awaiting their first pension payment; and what is the average length of time they have been waiting.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.
The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.
Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
Capita is prioritising the most urgent cases and as of 28 February 2026, all death in service cases are now either settled, progressed to the final stage or awaiting a member response. All ill-health retirement cases were also addressed by 6 March 2026 and service levels in these areas are being maintained.
The Minister for the Cabinet Office has met with the Capita CEO both before and after the transition. This oversight is supported by Cabinet Office officials and the taskforce, who remain in daily contact with Capita leadership. Ministers are regularly updated with progress being made to ensure the recovery remains on track.
The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on time.