iStockThe Scottish Prison Service (SPS) has condemned the civil service pension delays, which have affected several former staff members at HMP Perth, as “completely unacceptable”.
Recently retired prison officers and their families have been pushed into financial difficulty waiting for the pension they relied upon to fund their retirement.
The SPS has joined Perth and Kinross-shire MP Pete Wishart and the UK Government in slamming the lengthy delays since civil service pension administrator Capita took over the service in December 2025.
Capita has apologised for “the frustration experienced by any members affected”, and the UK Cabinet Office is undertaking an urgent recovery plan.
Isla Burns’ husband, Barry, died aged 57, just a month after he took early retirement from the Scottish Prison Service due to ill health in October 2025. Barry was a manager at HMP Perth.
Ever since, mum-of-two Isla, from Perth, has been fighting to get his pension.
Over the past few months, she has submitted all the necessary paperwork – both by recorded delivery and again online – but last weekend she received a letter from Capita asking her to send the required documentation again as her “record does not include the supporting documents for the claim form”.
Paul McEwan retired from HMP Perth at the start of February after 27 years with the Scottish Prison Service.
He moved to Cornwall, looking forward to a quieter life, but said he has gone through “unbelievable” stress.
He lost out on a house because his pension failed to come through, and he has had to get a part-time job and borrow from his sister to get by.
He said a number of his colleagues had faced similar issues with their pensions.
The Scottish Prison Service has raised concerns directly with both the UK Cabinet Office, which awarded the contract to Capita, and with Capita.
A Scottish Prison Service spokesperson said: “The delays that staff, former colleagues, and their families continue to experience in receiving their Civil Service pension payments are completely unacceptable, and we have raised our concerns directly with the UK Cabinet Office.
“We recognise that this is a worrying time for those who have not yet received their pension, and it falls far short of the level of service that our hard-working staff deserve, particularly after a long and dedicated service with SPS.
“To support colleagues experiencing financial hardship as a result of these delays, we have introduced a transitional support scheme for eligible retired and partially retired employees awaiting pension payments.
“The transition of pension administration to Capita has led to well-publicised issues across the Civil Service. Whilst some progress has been made, we are continuing to engage robustly behind the scenes with Capita on a weekly basis to monitor and escalate individual cases that remain unresolved.”
Earlier this month, a UK Cabinet Office spokesperson said: “The service levels following the move to Capita have been unacceptable. An urgent recovery plan is under way, and our immediate priority is to stabilise service levels and give current and former civil servants the service they deserve.
“The Minister for the Cabinet Office, Nick Thomas-Symonds, set a deadline of the end of June for significant progress to have been made in this area. We are assessing the situation and will update in due course.
“We will continue to use all available commercial levers to hold Capita to account and ensure they deliver for both members and taxpayers.”
The Cabinet Office is offering Transitional Help Loans to bridge the gap – interest-free temporary loans up to £20,000 – which would be expected to be repaid in full within 28 days after pension payments have been made.
A Capita spokesperson said: “We regret that some members are still experiencing issues with the Civil Service Pension Scheme and we apologise for the frustration experienced by any members affected.”
Follow STV News on WhatsApp
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
