A woman from Kirkby says she has not been paid her civil service pension for six months, leaving her to draw on savings to cover daily essentials and household bills while the company responsible for administering payments admits its service has been "not good enough".
Backlog after contractor takeover
The problem centres on the Civil Service Pension Scheme, which manages the pensions of 1.7 million public sector workers. The troubles followed the takeover of administration by contractor Capita in December last year. Capita has apologised to those affected and acknowledged it had inherited a much larger backlog of cases than envisaged.
The woman from Kirkby, named in reporting as Lisa Blundell, retired in March this year after 24 years in the civil service and submitted her pension application in September 2025. She says she has not received a single payment due to her and has been given no firm date for when the arrears will be cleared.
"I worked for the civil service for 24 years [...] and retired in March this year. I'm now missing six months pension, and Capita cannot tell me when I will receive it either."
Scale and strain
Capita told the press that around 86,000 people across the country had been affected by delays. Call volumes to the service reportedly reached peaks of 25,000 calls per week, and some members have been awaiting resolution of claims dating back to January 2025.
Blundell says her case is "workable" and that the company has confirmed it is not waiting for information from third parties that might be holding up her file. Despite that, no payment has been made and she says she has been forced to "raid her savings" to pay for food and bills.
Local impact and wider concern
Locally, the delays have caused acute financial pressure for some former civil servants. Earlier reporting by the Liverpool ECHO highlighted fear among people in Liverpool of losing their homes as the crisis unfolded. One local MP compared the situation to the Post Office scandal — a comparison that underlines the depth of distress among those affected.
The public administration of pensions is meant to be dependable; the current disruption leaves retirees uncertain and out of pocket. Capita has apologised and said it is working to improve the "customer journey", but for those who rely on their pension as their main income the delays are bringing immediate hardship.
- Who is affected: Current estimate of around 86,000 scheme members nationwide.
- Scale of scheme: Civil Service Pension Scheme covers 1.7 million public sector workers.
- Contact demand: Call volumes rose to roughly 25,000 per week during the crisis.
| Figure | Value |
|---|---|
| Scheme members | 1.7 million |
| Reported affected | 86,000 |
| Peak weekly calls | 25,000 |
Voices from Kirkby
Blundell described the situation as an "ongoing scandal" and expressed anger at both the government and the contractor tasked with sorting out payments. She said the delays are causing "misery" for thousands and called for clarity on when money will be paid into people's accounts.
For many in Kirkby and across the North West, the immediate problem is practical: covering rent or mortgage, buying food, and paying energy bills. With no clear timetable from Capita for when outstanding payments will be processed, affected pensioners remain in limbo.
Officials have apologised publicly, but the lack of concrete assurances about timelines leaves residents dependent on case-by-case updates. Those with urgent financial need may have to seek alternative support while the administration works through its backlog.
This is an ongoing story. WE NEWS will continue to report on developments affecting pension payments in Kirkby and the wider region as further information becomes available.
