Capita backlog still delays Gloucestershire widows' survivor pensions
Widows in Gloucestershire are still waiting months for civil service survivor pensions as Capita works through a large backlog.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Widows in Gloucestershire face prolonged waits for civil service survivor pensions, with the service provider Capita struggling to clear a large backlog. Some have been left without income for months after the death of their spouses, causing distress and financial uncertainty.
Anne, whose husband Brian died in March after 36 years of marriage, said she had received no pension payment for six months. Brian had worked for GCHQ for his entire career. Anne told the BBC she felt the delay was cruel, adding: "It makes me so angry. It's been six months and I think that's completely unacceptable and to actually cut funds off entirely from people who are going through bereavement is cruel."
Another widow, Sandy, lost her husband Eric in July last year. She waited more than 12 months for any money, and although a lump sum recently appeared in her bank account, she has received no communication from Capita. She said her late husband had left careful instructions about what to do, but "it's just as though they weren't bothered out with just another one." She contacted her local MP, who said the poor service came at the worst possible time: "You're dealing with that grief but also worried about your own financial future and how you're going to manage."
Capita took over the running of the civil service pension scheme in December last year, having been awarded a £239 million contract by the previous government. Handover issues and delays led to a significant backlog, which ballooned to 120,000 cases in February and is still being worked through.
Asked to respond, Capita sent a statement saying: "Despite the progress made, we recognise the service has not been good enough, particularly for members waiting on bereavement, retirement and quotation cases and we are sorry for the impact this has had." After the BBC contacted Capita about Anne's case, she received a lump sum, but still no letter or explanation. Many other recently retired or widowed people continue to wait.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC One |
|---|---|
| Capita acknowledged its service had not been good enough and apologised for the impact on members. | |
| Capita took over the civil service pension scheme in December last year under a £239 million contract. | |
| The backlog of pension cases reached 120,000 in February and is still being worked through. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The report focuses on the human impact of the delays, using emotional interviews with two widows to illustrate the distress caused by Capita's backlog. It also highlights the lack of communication from the firm and includes a critical comment from a local MP, framing the issue as a failure of public service delivery.
- “It makes me so angry. It's been six months and I think that's completely unacceptable and to actually cut funds off entirely from people who are going through bereavement is cruel.”
- “Handover issues and delays meant a significant backlog had built up, ballooning to 120,000 cases back in February and it's still being worked through.”
- “Despite the progress made, we recognise the service has not been good enough, particularly for members waiting on bereavement, retirement and quotation cases and we are sorry for the impact this has had.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.