The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will hold an evidence session
to examine civil service pensions
at 3.30pm on Monday 7th July.
The administrator of the Civil Service Pension Scheme, which has
around 1.7m members, has seen customer service complaints soar,
almost doubling in the last nine years. Many are waiting far
longer than they should for their queries to be answered and face
delays in receiving their payments.
In a session with representatives of the Cabinet Office and
MyCSP, the pension scheme administrators, MPs are likely to
examine members' increasing difficulties getting through to the
scheme's contact centre and ask why so many are having to wait to
receive their payments.
Despite the rising number of complaints, just two financial
penalties have been issued by the Cabinet Office to MyCSP,
raising questions about the effectiveness of its ability to hold
MyCSP to account. Questions could explore what lessons can be
learned from the management of MyCSP as control of the system is
transferred to Capita at the end of the year.
Due to take over in December of this year, Capita has already
missed three key milestones in the transition, causing the
Cabinet Office to withhold payments of almost £10m.The PAC may
explore what contingencies are in place if Capita is not ready to
take over by the end of the year, what role digitisation and
automation could play, and if the Cabinet Office has sufficient
levers in place to hold Capita to account. The session may also
explore any implications of recently announced industrial action
for the handover.
Witnesses from 3.30pm:
- Cat Little CB, Chief Operating Officer and Permanent
Secretary, Cabinet Office
- Múna Rowe, Pensions Deputy Director, Government People Group
and Programme SRO, Cabinet Office
- Fiona Ryland, Government Chief People Officer, Cabinet Office
- Duncan Watson, Chief Executive, MyCSP
