Asked by: Laura Trott (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the respective responsibilities of MyCSP and Capita are for administrative failures in the civil service pension scheme; and what steps he is taking to hold them to account.
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 accessing their pensions are unacceptable.
Our full focus is on stabilising the service and supporting any members experiencing hardship. We will conduct a full review once this has been achieved.
In prioritising the most urgent cases, Capita has committed to all outstanding death-in-service and ill-health retirement cases to be either in payment, or have
undertaken all activity possible whilst waiting for the member to respond, with the vast majority of these having been paid in February.
No former civil servant should be facing financial hardship as a result of delays to their pension. We are putting in place interest-free bridging loans of up to £5,000 (and up to £10,000 in exceptional cases) to recent retirees facing payment delays. These loans are to be repaid and will be met from existing departmental settlements.
Additionally, interest will be paid on delayed benefits to avoid financial loss by members.
Furthermore, all member complaints regarding the transition are being handled in accordance with the standards set by the Pensions Ombudsman.
Asked by: Laura Trott (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to provide compensation for civil servants impacted by administrative failures in 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 accessing their pensions are unacceptable.
Our full focus is on stabilising the service and supporting any members experiencing hardship. We will conduct a full review once this has been achieved.
In prioritising the most urgent cases, Capita has committed to all outstanding death-in-service and ill-health retirement cases to be either in payment, or have
undertaken all activity possible whilst waiting for the member to respond, with the vast majority of these having been paid in February.
No former civil servant should be facing financial hardship as a result of delays to their pension. We are putting in place interest-free bridging loans of up to £5,000 (and up to £10,000 in exceptional cases) to recent retirees facing payment delays. These loans are to be repaid and will be met from existing departmental settlements.
Additionally, interest will be paid on delayed benefits to avoid financial loss by members.
Furthermore, all member complaints regarding the transition are being handled in accordance with the standards set by the Pensions Ombudsman.
Asked by: Laura Trott (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Ian Corfield (a) has had and (b) has a Downing Street pass.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
I refer the Rt Hon Members to the answer given by the then Prime Minister on 7 February 2017, Official Report, PQ 62542.
Following the practice followed by past administrations, the Government does not comment on security matters.
Asked by: Laura Trott (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many passes for HM Treasury have been issued to (a) civil servants and (b) special advisers since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Following the practice followed by past administrations, the government does not comment on security matters.
Asked by: Laura Trott (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the Government plans to publish its response to Sir Robert Francis QC’s Infected Blood Compensation Framework study.
Answered by Michael Ellis
I refer the Hon. member to the answer given to PQ 35990 on 18 July 2022.
Asked by: Laura Trott (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what progress his Department is making on addressing disparities in support for victims of the Infected Blood Scandal across the four nations of the UK.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
I refer the hon. Member to my update to Parliament on 25 March in the form of a Written Ministerial Statement.