Emma Foody

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Lewell. Like many Members, I want to share the real impact that the serious concerns about the administration of the civil service pension scheme are having on my constituents. In the north-east, this issue is particularly acute because we have one of the largest HMRC and DWP offices in Benton Park View—often known locally as the Ministry—employing thousands of people. Civil service jobs have long been the backbone of our local economy, with many local people giving decades of their life to public service, but they are now being let down at the point when they should most be able to rely on the system. I am regularly contacted by constituents who are spending hours on the phone—sometimes two, three or four hours—just to try to get an update on their pension, often only to be told that no one can help them or that they will receive a callback in seven to 10 days. Except, of course, that that call never comes. People are left with no information, no timescales and no way to resolve their issues. One constituent who already had a pension in payment is now being double taxed because Capita incorrectly told HMRC that she had started a new pension, rather than continuing her existing one. Despite repeated attempts to fix the issue, there has been no joy. One civil servant with 43 years of service applied in August for partial retirement to start this year: all paperwork submitted all the paperwork, but no confirmation and no payment—nothing. After more than four decades of service, they are denied even the certainty of a planned retirement. Another constituent, with 29 years of service, claimed their pension in July and has still not received either their lump sum or any ongoing payments. As a result, they are having to rely on credit cards, incurring additional interest and struggling to meet mortgage payments—all because money to which they are entitled has not been paid. I have been contacted about a widows and orphans scheme refund of £1,940, due since July, that remains unpaid. For families dealing with bereavement, such delays only add to the strain they are already under. As we have heard, these are not isolated cases, which points to systemic problems with how this scheme is administered. Civil servants have upheld their side of the bargain, and it is only right that the system does the same. I urge Ministers not only to examine Capita’s performance closely, but to recognise that previous MyCSP failures also need to be taken into account. I and other hon. Members want to hear what action is being taken to ensure that people receive their pensions accurately, promptly and with the respect they deserve, but also what action will be taken to hold Capital and MyCSP to account for their failures.