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Nearly nine months after the sudden passing of her husband Barry, Kay Donald remains entangled in ongoing issues surrounding his pension, which she says is preventing her from moving forward. Kay, from Glasgow, has yet to receive any pension payments since Barry’s death last September, shortly before the couple’s 34th wedding anniversary. Her experience reflects a broader problem affecting thousands of families struggling with delays after Capita took over the administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
Barry, who worked for Social Security Scotland for five years and previously spent 26 years at Asda, died suddenly at their home. Despite receiving initial support from Barry’s employer, including condolences and necessary pension forms, Kay’s efforts to access the pension have stalled. After submitting all the requested documents in October, she has been left waiting with no payments and has faced continual frustration trying to get answers from Capita. “I have phoned umpteen times, I’ve emailed, I have written letters of complaint,” Kay said. She has even sought help from her MSP and solicitor, but has seen little progress. Kay describes feeling treated as if making a fraudulent claim, saying, “I’m really not. It’s death in service. And they just don’t seem to care really.”
The difficulties faced by Kay are far from unique. Elaine Muirhead, who passed away suddenly in December aged 55, was another victim of these administrative delays. Elaine, who worked for the employability service Fair Start Scotland, left her family struggling to resolve her pension. Elaine’s daughter, Rachel Shankland, sent all required documentation but encountered contradictory requests from Capita staff, including the need for a solicitor’s letter of representation, which was later deemed unnecessary. Mistakes such as receiving forms meant for other families only added to their confusion. Although the family finally received a payout, ongoing pension payments remain unresolved, deepening their distress.
Capita began administering the £239 million Civil Service Pension Scheme contract, covering about 1.7 million members, six months ago. Issues appeared almost immediately, with members reporting problems with the new online portal, long wait times for customer service, and failure to receive lump sum
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