PCS and Capita Pensions Solutions have signed an agreement confirming union recognition for the workers administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
The agreement follows months of strikes by PCS members who work at MyCSP over the firm's refusal to recognise PCS ahead of the transfer of staff to Capita.
Outsourcing giant Capita's pensions arm will take over the contract from MyCSP on Monday, when a new website and member portal will also launch for the scheme, which has around 1.7 million members.
The rollout of Capita’s full service offer is expected to be complete by the end of March 2026.
Capita said 350 staff will transfer over with the contract, and 150 new staff will be added to the team, which will work virtually and in recently renovated offices in central Liverpool and Cheadle.
Scott Hill, chief people officer at Capita, said: “I want to extend a warm welcome to all our new colleagues joining Capita to deliver this important service for public servants.
“This agreement reflects our commitment to building a strong, positive relationship with PCS. We look forward to working closely with PCS to ensure a smooth transition of the service and a constructive partnership going forward.”
Chris Clements, managing director at Capita Pension Solutions, added: “As we take on the administration of CSPS, this agreement demonstrates how we will work with all stakeholders, including PCS, to deliver the best service for pension scheme members who have delivered or are delivering essential services for the United Kingdom.
“Over the coming months, we will support them by rolling out a new, modern service using ever-more automation and AI to support our teams, who will continue to provide quality assurance and expert oversight.
“This voluntary recognition agreement is an important step in that journey – it demonstrates our dedication to engaging with colleagues and working in partnership to deliver an excellent service for the 1.5 million members of CSPS.”
PCS said the agreement with Capita means the scheme's administrators "will have a real voice in their workplace".
Fran Heathcote, PCS's general secretary, said: “The months of strike action taken by our members working for MyCSP on the Civil Service Pensions contract, shows the importance and value that they place on having real union representation in their workplace.
“We welcome the recognition agreement between PCS and Capita, which gives our members a real voice in the workplace. We look forward to working towards building a positive industrial relations environment, which is in the best interests of the successful administration of the pension scheme.”
The MyCSP-run member portal and app for the scheme closed on 21 November as part of the planned transfer to Capita, and the website has been offline since 5pm on Wednesday ahead of the launch of a new website and member portal on Monday. Members will not be able to access any online pension services until Monday. Existing portal users will be able re-register on the new website from Monday using a personal email address.