Overview
- Derek Ritchie, 63, was told in March that his civil service pension had been miscalculated since 2014 and that he must repay £25,000.
- His annual payment reportedly rose from about £200 to roughly £4,000 because of the error, and his income has already been cut by 13% with a further 15% deduction proposed under a repayment plan.
- Ritchie says the reclaim will cause considerable hardship, reports treatment for depression and anxiety, and expects he may have to return to work.
- The Cabinet Office says it has a legal duty to recover public money and that it uses guidelines to apply flexibility, with potential reductions where hardship can be evidenced.
- Management of the £239 million civil service pension contract moved from MyCSP to Capita this week, following a parliamentary report that condemned service levels and raised doubts about outsourcing.