Anne Sinclaire says she has waited six months for her widow's pension under the civil service pension contract after Brian died in March. She said Capita, which took over administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme in December 2025, later paid a lump sum after the contacted the company.
Sinclaire, from Minchinhampton in Gloucestershire, said she and Brian were married for 36 years. She said she was told the full pension would continue for three months while paperwork was processed, but the delay left her putting off credit card bills and facing higher interest charges.
Anne Sinclaire and Brian
Brian worked for GCHQ for more than 40 years before his death. Sinclaire said she used the money she had set aside for the £7,000 funeral and the £800 memorial stone, thinking she would have income coming in. “It makes me so angry,” she said.
She also said, “To cut funds off entirely from people going through bereavement is cruel.” The lump-sum payment reached her bank account after the company was contacted, but she said she still had nothing in writing explaining what she is owed.
Capita and the backlog
Capita said it recognised that the service has not been good enough. The delay affecting Sinclaire sits alongside a growing backlog that has left some people waiting months for civil service pension payments.
Avril Coleman, who retired in May after giving five months' notice, said she is still waiting to receive her pension. She said she contacts the company at least twice a month for updates and that telephone agents are following scripts and cannot answer questions that are not on the script.
Avril Coleman and waiting claims
Coleman’s case shows the delays are not limited to bereavement pensions. Sandy Blindell is also among those waiting for a pension, and the article describes people feeling upset, frustrated and ignored as the backlog grows.
The immediate issue for people affected is whether their payments arrive at all and whether any arrears are explained in writing. The open question is how many others are still waiting after Capita took over the Civil Service Pension Scheme in December 2025.
