Public and Commercial Services Union

PCS response to announcement

Following an announcement on the 18 November by the Cabinet Office that a new delivery organisation within the Civil Service will provide a full range of services to all members of the PCSPS, the General Secretary has written to the members who will be covered by this new organisation (see below), to reassure them that PCS will take a full part in seeking to protect member’s rights during the transitional period to the new organisation which will be hosted by the Department of Work & Pensions. PCS has set up an ad hoc grouping of representatives from the Cabinet Office and the Authorised Pension Administration Centres (APACs) to take this work forward and union representatives will be meeting with Cabinet Office on a regular basis to ensure the interests of staff are fully protected.

Transforming civil service pension delivery

On (18 November) the Cabinet Office made a formal announcement arising from a review of the way in which Civil Service Pensions will be delivered in the future. This is an issue which has a direct impact on all our members working within the APACs and within Civil Service Pensions Division of the Cabinet Office and Pensioner Payroll. It will ultimately affect all PCS members in the PCSPS community who expect to see a good quality service in protecting and administrating their pensions.

During the past couple of years PCS at national level has been involved in this transformation programme and a small ad hoc group of PCS representatives from APACs and CSP have met throughout this period to be kept informed and to take forward the PCS policy towards any such proposal on the basis of Conference decision. It is our intention that we will continue to be involved at national level until this transformation process is complete. The programme has been created to provide a better quality shared service capability for Civil Service Pensions administration across government with changes to the current governance framework. The intention of the programme will ultimately be to deliver a much improved customer service whilst reducing the risk and cost to both current active members and Civil Service Pensioners.

The new delivery organisation within the Civil Service will provide a full range of services to all members’ i.e. active scheme members, deferred pensioners and pensioners and their dependants and to all employers. The new organisation will be created over the next 2½-3 years and the Department of Work & Pensions will host the new organisation.

Obviously for PCS members there are many issues to be discussed with the new organisation and we are in the process of setting up a transitional PCS structure which will be able to discuss the many issues which members will wish to seek to be resolved. The priority of PCS will be to retain the right for members to retain links with the existing parent organisation and to remain on the site where they are currently working. PCS will also wish to ensure that all members have a right to retain their current terms of conditions of employment until such time as a harmonisation programme is agreed with your union.

The National Executive Committee (NEC) has received full reports over the past few months about these developments and is content to work closely with the Cabinet Office the Project Team and DWP to ensure that your interests are looked after. We will be setting up our own PCS structures to represent you and you may be assured that the NEC will take a full active role over the next months and years to ensure that members’ interests are properly protected.

I will continue to take a close interest in this issue.

Mark Serwotka
General Secretary

---

An occupational pension is a major part of every member’s employment rights and are the major source of retirement income for many. They are a significant part of collective provisions, negotiated within a framework of rules rights and obligations. They are also a reflection of how a trade union seeks to work to protect and promote the interests of its members.

Members will often ask branch and group representatives for information and although it is not expected that union representatives have detailed knowledge of every aspect of their pension scheme members are entitled to receive advice from their union as to who to contact for advice in individual cases.

Individual case work

Usually it will be possible for members queries to be dealt with by the branch and generally they can be resolved most quickly at a local or departmental level. Branches should take up the problems first with the employer or the employers of pension administrator (their authorisation pension administration centre - APAC) who have a responsibility to provide information and answers including detailed figures and explanations of calculations.

The employer (or their APAC) will have leaflets or booklets explaining aspects of their pension schemes which they should provide on request to scheme members. If the branch needs advice on progressing the inquiry they should initially contact their bargaining centre in PCS headquarters or regional office who will be familiar with any employer specific procedures or agreements and where advice can be obtained within that employer.

If the bargaining centre cannot deal with it either because it is complex or because it has wider implications the appropriate full time official should refer it to the pensions officer in the policy, research, information & bargaining support department in PCS headquarters who has responsibility for maintaining and managing case work in that department.

As was stated earlier, however, there is a considerable amount of resource which should be easily available either from your own departmental pensions branch or via the appropriate website.

For those members in the civil service pensions schemes a useful web address is the civil service pensions website follow publications, rules and forms and scroll down until you reach the appropriate leaflet you are seeking.

For our members in the commercial sector their own employer will be able to provide them with the relevant information concerning their pension. The following pages in this section of the PCS website will seek to give information as to various aspects of the unions pensions policies as well as how to resolve individual queries members may have.