Public workers in the U.K. said a botched pension handover has turned retirement into a financial emergency, with some forced to borrow money while they wait for payments that should already be arriving.
The dispute is escalating as a government watchdog reviews how the transfer was managed.
Here's what to know
According to the BBC, the National Audit Office will examine both the handover of the Civil Service Pension Scheme from MyCSP to Capita Public Services and the way the scheme has been administered since December 2025.
Workers said the problems have left them without pension income and with little meaningful information about when their cases will be resolved.
Facing a 20% drop in pay after cutting his hours for health reasons, Peter Woodman, a Metropolitan Police detention officer from Horley, Surrey, said he took out a loan while waiting for a pension quotation linked to his partial retirement.
"You can spend up to two hours on the phone with them, easily. You can get through to them eventually, then get cut off, then you have to go through the same process again," he said.
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Wendy Cottee, a Crown Prosecution Service prosecutor from Bookham, Surrey, said she had "heard nothing from Capita at all" and that the only reply she received was a standard form response saying her application was "being processed."
More background
After 25 years with the Metropolitan Police, Woodman said the stress from the delay had become so intense that he feared he could "end up back in hospital."
Describing the situation as "appalling," Cottee said her funds had "reduced massively" while she waited and had no pension payments to fall back on. She added: "It's very frustrating. I find it offensive actually."
Chris Coghlan, MP for Dorking and Horley, said people had been contacting him "probably at least once a week, at breaking point, because they literally can't get their pension, so they're struggling to survive financially."
What's being done?
Capita has acknowledged the problems.
A spokesperson said: "We are sorry for the impact the service issues have had on members and recognise there is more to do to restore the service members should expect.
"Our focus remains on resolving outstanding cases. We are continuing to work closely with the Cabinet Office as we deliver the wider recovery."
The Cabinet Office said service levels after Capita took over had been "completely unacceptable."
A spokesperson added: "Our immediate priority is to stabilise the service to give current and former civil servants the service they deserve."
The Cabinet Office said it is withholding nearly £10m in payments while pursuing what it described as "the biggest wave of insourcing in a generation," aiming to bring the pension scheme back in-house.
Woodman said, "It's the worst experience of my life."
Where can I learn more?
The turmoil has also sharpened questions about how public pension money is managed and invested. These stories look at divestment fights, climate-reporting demands, green investment moves, and scrutiny of supposedly sustainable funds.
• In Illinois, lawmakers pushed major changes to pension systems through a sweeping energy bill.
• At a pensions conference, retirees staged a protest over fund investments and demanded industry-wide change.
• In the U.K., two major public funds signaled a shift toward green investment priorities.
• Across Europe, investigators found government-regulated sustainable funds held billions in major polluters.
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