Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the (a) eligibility criteria for interest-free hardship loans and (b) process for applying for them for retired civil servants that are unable to access their civil service pension payments on time.

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government. The Civil Service Pension Scheme transferred to Capita on 1 December.

Transitional Help Loans are available to support those who may be facing hardship. These are interest free, will be provided by employers and available to those employees and to any partial retiree still in employment who retired from 1 January 2025 onwards. The pension member must be waiting for a delayed first pension payment. Loans of £5,000 will be made available and up to £10,000 in exceptional circumstances.