'A longstanding failure': Government responds as firefighter pension delays spark MP intervention

As reported, MP for Boston and Skegness Richard Tice said he received so many complaints from civil servants across his constituency that he wrote to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions requesting reassurance that the matter was being addressed.

In a letter to the Rt Hon Pat McFadden MP, shared with Lincolnshire World, the MP outlined the concerns raised by constituents who he said were experiencing “financial hardship” due to prolonged delays and uncertainty.

He wrote that a growing number of retired civil servants had reported “prolonged waiting times, vague or contradictory responses, and repeated missed deadlines, often with no clear indication of when payment will be made”.

Mr Tice warned that the delays were causing “unnecessary stress, particularly for those who rely on their pension as their primary source of income”.

While acknowledging that Capita had cited a backlog of cases, he added: “This explanation is no longer adequate. Pensioners are left waiting with little or no guidance and no estimated payment date.”

The MP also pointed to longstanding issues linked to the MyCSP system, writing: “This represents a longstanding failure, and neither MyCSP nor Capita have demonstrated effective control of the administration of these pensions.”

Mr Tice stressed that “the accurate and timely payment of pensions is a fundamental responsibility of government and its contractors”, warning that the continued failures “fall well below an acceptable standard and risk seriously undermining confidence in the system”.

He asked the Secretary of State to explain what immediate steps are being taken to clear the backlog and ensure payments are made promptly, adding: “My constituents deserve reassurance that this issue is being treated with the urgency it clearly warrants.”

The joint statement from Capita and the Cabinet to Lincolnshire World said: “When Capita took over administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme on 1 December 2025, a backlog of 86,000 cases was inherited from the previous administrator, a significant proportion of which was already overdue.

"This led to higher-than-expected volumes of calls and complex queries which created further issues.

“Capita and the Cabinet Office are deeply sorry for the worry, frustration, and distress this has caused.

"Both Capita and the Cabinet Office take this responsibility very seriously and are urgently working together to put this right.”