Capita-utter farce-wrong details

Dennis Lewis · Post by **Dennis Lewis** » 20 Dec 2018, 18:32

No you're not on your own and this thread has been a good support for us. Contact Jon Lewis, he seems a gent and has helped a few of us get replies. If you are thinking of contacting the pension's ombudsman they advise that you have to put in a complaint to Capita first. Also consider contacting Dominic Arthur at the Cabinet Office (he seems on-the-ball) and Richard Kirwan (he seems to get things moving The CEO and him do seem to reply). Hope this helps.

Useful contacts:

dominic.arthurcabinetoffice.gov.uk
Complaing to capita: customer.relations.pensions@capita.co.uk
CEO of capita: jon.lewis@capita.co.uk
pensions ombudsman: http://www.pensions-ombudsman.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
national audit office; http://www.nao.org.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (look for raising issues and then whistle blowing. This takes you to an on-line form)

Mr Richard Kirwan Richard Kirwan | Head of Complaints |
Customer Relations Team (CRT) Capita Employee Solutions
Hartshead House 2 Cutlers Gate Sheffield S4 7TL
Tel: 07826 876010 http://www.capitaemployeesolutions.co.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

N60 · Post by **N60** » 21 Dec 2018, 15:43

Juliebarker wrote:I've just found this post and so glad I have.
I thought it was just me getting fobbed off in the black hole.
My pension is now overdue, no sign of any options paperwork, lost count of the number of calls and emails I've tried and sick of hearing the words " I'll escalate this".
What a joke!! Next step Jon Lewis and the Pensions ombudsman.

Hi Julie, hope you find the info here a help. How long have you been waiting/trying to get your pension ? It seems that since the transfer to Capita (1st October) they've been overwhelmed with the work - and from what folk have said the transfer didn't go that smoothly either. You'll have seen from the comments so far that a polite letter to Jon Lewis does seem to get something moving. Experience so far seems to be that Jon Lewis usually responds quickly then passes your letter and then Richard Kirwan (Head of Complaints) gets involved and keeps an eye on the progress of your case. I found that once Richard was involved, if mine stalled again along the way a quick email to Richard soon got things moving again. I didn't get as far as the Ombudsman as I think (as mentioned in an earlier post somewhere) that they will only get properly involved once you have pursued the complaint with Capita.

Good luck with it and do post again letting folk know how you get on - it's all useful stuff for others who are struggling with it.

Juliebarker · Post by **Juliebarker** » 27 Dec 2018, 10:30

Thankyou for your replies guys.
Last Saturday 22nd December a letter arrived from Rmps.
I gleefully tore it open thinking, at last my pension options have arrived.
Alas no. It was purely an apologetic letter from Capita stating that my options pack was overdue and that I should receive this by 31st January 2019.
My pension due date was mid December, I eagerly await the end of January.

Dennis Lewis · Post by **Dennis Lewis** » 27 Dec 2018, 18:19

Juliebarker wrote:Thankyou for your replies guys.
Last Saturday 22nd December a letter arrived from Rmps.
I gleefully tore it open thinking, at last my pension options have arrived.
Alas no. It was purely an apologetic letter from Capita stating that my options pack was overdue and that I should receive this by 31st January 2019.
My pension due date was mid December, I eagerly await the end of January.

Hi Julie, I'd get in touch with the CEO Jon Lewis or Richard Kirwan straight away. This is totally unacceptable. If you receive your options forms the end of January you will have missed the January pension deadline too and you'll have to wait until the end of February for your pension, They should have put the options forms in the envelop with the letter, especially as your pension is already late. They could have also emailed the option forms to you for you to print out and send back before the Jan deadline (mid Jan I think). I'm sure that Dominic Arthur from the cabinet office would also like to hear about this too. Things do seem to move fast when these get involved. It is very sad that things are not improving across the board though, and I'm sure that if you owed Capita money they would not be as patient about it as you are. keep on at them and keep your spirits up.

FAB · Post by **FAB** » 27 Dec 2018, 18:26

I hope all these people with their pension delayed will get it back dated so they don't lose out!

Dennis Lewis · Post by **Dennis Lewis** » 03 Jan 2019, 19:29

Hi Guys - I've had my pension and lump sum - yippee! So there is light at the end of the tunnel. And it's been backdated and went into the right account. I had my birth-certificate returned too (never thought I'd see that again). Still no reply from the ombudsman early resolution team ERT. Glad it wasn't the late resolution team as it's been over a month already. And no reply at all from the CWU (I'm not a member now but contributed for a good many years). The NAO replied and are aware of the situation and will auditing Capita in due course. The Cabinet Office are also onto things via Dominic Arthur. The CEO of Capita was the main player in helping to get this sorted and I would like to thank the person who suggested copying him into emails. This thread has been a huge support and I will check in now and then to see how things are going. Again thanks to the person who created this thread and for all your posts. Good luck with your pensions and Happy New Year to all.

heapsy · Post by **heapsy** » 04 Jan 2019, 09:19

Great news.

Farouk7475 · Post by **Farouk7475** » 29 Jan 2019, 09:32

Hi, I just wondered if people are still having issues getting their pension paperwork?
I’m 55 in February and want to take my pension early so, as advised, I wrote to Capita requesting this at the beginning of November. I posted Signed For so I know it arrived, however I hadn’t heard anything by the beginning of December so I phoned them . I was told that my request would be dealt with and my options and the relevant forms would be with me within 4 weeks. I still haven’t heard from them so phoned again this morning. I have been told that “work is in progress and it just needs to be signed off” - I was given approximate figures of what I’ll be offered and told that it should be signed off by Thursday and sent out by end of this week. I want to trust what I’ve been told but having read what others have gone through, I’m concerned that it’s all lip service and things are a long way off?!
Also, I wondered if anyone could advise me please on the lump sum aspect - does it get paid at the same time as the first months pension payment (last day of the month?) or is it paid separately? Many thanks

Post by **Fatboyslim** » 29 Jan 2019, 15:25

If you have applied in time. It will be payable on your 55th birthday. In my case the 10th. Pension last day of the month. 28th in your case.

Shocked how the system is so bad now. I applied 8 weeks in advance. All sorted in four weeks. With four weeks to spare. Progesss - I don’t think so.

Farouk7475 · Post by **Farouk7475** » 30 Jan 2019, 16:22

Thanks for your reply Fatboyslim, great that yours has been sorted.
Sadly I can’t say the same yet, I called Capita this afternoon for an update but nothing has changed with mine. It’s still in the queue to be signed off. The guy I spoke to thought a week would be a reasonable estimate so it may get posted to me by the end of next week. He seemed hopeful that I’d have the paperwork by my birthday (15th)! He kept saying that because Capita inherited a big backlog of work they are still playing catch up and it’s unlikely they’ll catch up anytime soon!!

N60 · Post by **N60** » 30 Jan 2019, 19:03

Hi Farouk, Sounds like you're having the same problems as many of us on this thread have had. You'll see if you read through the earlier posts that there are some useful email addresses if you need to escalate the problems. If you give Capita time to send you stuff/respond to to your query in the timescale they say they will and they don't do it then it's reasonable to escalate it I reckon. A polite but firm email to the CEO seems to have done the trick for most on this thread. Even then it still takes time to process but at least you know it is being dealt with. Capita certainly are taking a long time to deal with the backlog - not sure how much longer they'll be able to use that excuse ! Keep at it and good luck.

Farouk7475 · Post by **Farouk7475** » 30 Jan 2019, 20:36

Hi N60, thanks so much for your reply.
I am so grateful for all the posts on this site, I now don’t feel like I’m battling alone!
I’m seriously contemplating emailing Jon Lewis sooner rather than later as I feel I’ve been misled from the outset.
I originally phoned Cqpita right at the end of October - I’d given up work a few weeks earlier to care for my terminally ill father, so wanted to get things moving on the early pension ASAP. I was advised that I could apply straight away because of my situation and it had to be in writing with supporting docs. I did exactly what I was advised and wrote in with letters from my fathers consultant, our GP and MacMillan. Nobody has ever responded to this and when I called the helpline on 3rd January I was told there seemed to be no record of it even though I know it arrived, as it was signed for!
I was then advised that my request for pension options could be activated straight away but it would drag things out and take longer if I go down the carer route and it would be quicker if I just do this as taking it early as I’m almost 55. I was told that this would take a maximum of 4 weeks.
I realise it was ultimately my decision but I just went along with what I was advised because I trusted this would be the right route to take - I now cannot help but wonder if I have been given the correct advice?!
I was told on Monday that my options should be signed off in the next couple of days and would be posted out on Thursday, today I’m told it’ll be at least another week.... I don’t think I’m being unreasonable in emailing Jon Lewis now, am I? I’m not normally a complainer, I’m more a laid back easygoing person, but I’m losing sleep over this now!
Also, I’m confused as to what ID I’ll need to send - I’ve been given different answers to this question - original birth certificate only/photocopy of birth certificate or passport or driving license/original passport only/photocopies of birth certificate or passport as long as it’s countersigned - what’s correct??
Many thanks

jack999 · Post by **jack999** » 31 Jan 2019, 05:30

I've got the same issue as everyone else on this board , I filled in a Lifetime allowance questionnaire in September and returned it straight away- sods law that Capita took over in October - I turned 6o in November and still waiting for a valuation / details of my AVC - just keep getting fobbed off after all this time ( it has been escalated - give it another few weeks and so on) . I like the suggestion about emailing Capita CEO - guess there's nothing to lose.

Farouk7475 · Post by **Farouk7475** » 31 Jan 2019, 07:39

Hi Jack999
I agree - I’ve decided to email Jon Lewis today!
When you have called Capita have you been told at what stage you are at? For the last 10 days mine has been ready to be signed off but in a queue - and yesterday I was told that it’s unlikely to be signed off for at least another week.....one hell of a queue!!
I feel we are all being continually fobbed off - beyond belief that yours has been going on for 4 months!

N60 · Post by **N60** » 31 Jan 2019, 11:29

Hi Jack and Farouk, It certainly sounds like you've given it the time it needs to get through the system - if they have one !? and it does sound reasonable to escalate things now. It's really frustrating how Capita just fob us off with saying they're doing things when they clearly aren't. I've never received any of the post they said they would send (funny as I get all my other post fine) and ended up with asking for everything to be sent as email attachments, meant lots of printing out at home but at least I got the info and could then sign the documents and get things moving. I found that after my email to Jon Lewis CEO things did move, still took a few weeks to get it done but it certainly started things moving.

I'm about to have to email him again I think - my pension was paid in December but no payslip issued, despite paperwork saying one is sent at same time as payment made. Have asked a couple of times for one as I know from the amount I got paid that it's taxed on Month 1 and not my proper tax code, but nothing received from Capita yet. I have just been paid Jan's pension and still wrong tax so have spoken with tax office, they have no record of any payments being made to me at all ! apparently Capita are supposed to tell them whenever they make a pension payment (just like normal payroll monthly reporting) but they haven't. Tax office could look it up via my PAYE ref if I could give it to them but guess where that it - on my payslip which Capita haven't sent ! To be fair to the tax folk they were doing their best but as there's nothing agianst my name and I don't have a ref no. from capita they can't address my tax. At least I do have my pension so that's something but if they don't give me my pay slips in another week I 'll be raising it with Jon Lewis, again.

It really shouldn't have to come to this - standard normal procedures don't seem to have been implemented by Capita at all, I'm really baffled how what should be an automated thing - issue of payslips, notify tax office - hasn't happened.
I really do wonder what they are all doing all day.

BTW with regards to concerns about certificates/documents, have a look a Dennis's posts - he was worried about that but his seemed to have worked out all fine.

I'll let you know how I get on with the payslips/tax - something else for you to look forward to when you get your pensions paid ! - but in meantime good luck with getting it all sorted.