Stop gambling with our livelihoods

The UK government has awarded Capita a major contract to run HR and payroll services for more than 250,000 civil servants. 

Capita, the company currently failing to pay civil service pensions to thousands, is being handed the Synergy Shared Services contract worth up to £950m over 10 years.

PCS members continue to be let down by Capita’s failed administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme, with many who have dedicated their careers to public service, facing financial hardship because of late or missing pension payments. The crisis is also causing civil servants to delay their retirement due to the extreme delays and dysfunction affecting the scheme. This is causing a huge degree of stress and is impacting the mental health of our members.

Capita has missed deadline after deadline, to restore the contract to normal service levels. PCS is clear that the issues for our members will only be solved by bringing the administration of the scheme back in-house. 

Given the failures on the pensions’ contract, it is very concerning that the government has awarded the company with the Synergy shared services contract across four government departments, including payroll for civil servants. This is effectively gambling with our members’ lives as it puts the payroll and livelihoods of over a quarter of a million civil servants in its hands. 

Pay delays would have dire consequences for staff. Mortgages, rent and bills cannot wait.