A breakdown of staff within the requested bands for each body is provided in the following table.

Some of the department’s bodies are out of scope for this question. School Teachers’ Review Body does not have salaried staff. As non-ministerial departments, Ofsted and Ofqual have responsibility for their own staffing, pay and budgetary arrangements.

I have asked His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver, and Ofqual’s Chief Regulator, Sir Ian Bauckham CBE, respectively to write directly to the honourable member. A copy of each reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Public sector pensions are unfunded multi-employer defined benefit schemes, and where an arm’s length body is a member of these schemes, it is not possible to separately identify their share of underlying assets and liabilities.

The information requested is not held centrally, and could only be provided at a disproportionate cost to the department.

The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The Pensions Ombudsman investigated a complaint determined in January 2015 concerning the conduct of the trustee of the AEA Technology Pension Scheme (reference PO-4816 can be found on The Pension Ombudsman website).

In its role as the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) Ombudsman, The Pensions Ombudsman considered two references of reviewable matters concerning the PPF and AEA Technology. Both cases are in the public domain and can be found on The Pensions Ombudsman website. The first (reference PPFO-2915), in June 2014, and the second (reference CAS-53012-H6M5), in December 2021.

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman investigated complaints about a factsheet produced by the Department for Work and Pensions in response to enquiries from members of the AEA Technology Pension Scheme.

In the same way as any other defined benefit scheme, the rules of a superfund scheme will determine how and whether surplus assets can be used to enhance scheme benefits for members. Typically, the trust deed and rules of the scheme will contain an augmentation power or similar which can be used to increase benefits in some circumstances.

Within the permanent superfund framework, we expect innovation and different models will emerge. Some may offer to share surplus funds with members.

Actuaries providing information in relation to pension transfers are bound to uphold standards and codes of conduct set out by the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, the professional body for actuaries, and the Financial Reporting Council, the oversight body for the actuarial profession. Both organisations can investigate complaints against individual actuaries (but not organisations) and have established complaints and disciplinary processes.

Where a pension scheme trustee, sponsoring employer or member believes they have suffered a loss as a result of incomplete actuarial information, redress would normally be sought through the courts under professional negligence or breach of contract.

The actuarial profession is regulated by the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) which is the relevant professional body. It is possible to raise a concern or complaint relating to an individual member of the IFoA directly to the IFoA.

The Actuaries’ Code is the ethical Code of Conduct to which all IFoA members must adhere. Failure by a member to comply with the ethical requirements set out in the Code may lead to disciplinary proceedings under the IFoA’s Disciplinary Scheme.

The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) is the oversight body for the actuarial profession, and this provides a further route for complaints about professional standards and conduct.

Where a pension scheme trustee, sponsoring employer or member believes they have suffered a loss as a result of negligent actuarial advice, redress would normally be sought through the courts under professional negligence or breach of contract.

The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

a) Information has been provided for Home Office Arm’s Length Bodies that employ their own staff. The figures in the table below are as at 31 March 2026 and have been provided to the Home Office by each ALB.

b) The Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (PCSPS) and the Civil Servant and Other Pension Scheme (CSOPS) are unfunded multi-employer defined benefit schemes. Arm’s Length Bodies are unable to identify their share of the underlying assets and liabilities.

The requested data is not centrally held by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and could only be collated and verified for the purposes of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

The information in question (a) is held by each ALB and not by the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero .

Similar to above, the information for question b is held by the ALB’s and would not be held by the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero .

As of 3 July 2026, a total of 98,746 members across the active, deferred, and pensioner cohorts have been issued with their RSSs under the Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS). There remains 37,890 members who are still awaiting issuance of their RSS. Of these, 12,123 are pensioner members who left service prior to 1 October 2023.

At this stage, I am unable to provide a specific completion date for all outstanding RSSs. However, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is committed to keeping members informed and a further update on progress and timescales will be published on the Armed Forces Pensions page. The Armed Forces Pensions page on GOV.UK provides a delivery update and outlines the revised timeline, which can be found at the following link under 'Remediable Service Statement Delivery Update':

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pensions-and-compensation-for-veterans#remediable-service-statement-delivery-update

As the delay breaches the regulatory deadline, the MOD has reported this matter to the Pensions Regulator and is keeping them informed of our efforts to address the issue. It is important to note that all public sector schemes are facing similar challenges, and this is not a problem exclusive to the AFPS or the MOD.

Standard pension claims are generally being processed within published service standards and current performance remains high, with pension payments continuing to be made accurately and on time. The Ministry of Defence continues to work with its pension administrators to ensure Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS) benefits are processed as efficiently as possible.

The Department is implementing a range of improvements aimed at enhancing service delivery, including the introduction of the Compendia Touch system to streamline case management, ongoing process improvements, and consideration of opportunities to increase processing capacity and automation. These measures are intended to improve productivity and maintain efficient processing times for AFPS members.

As set out in the Department for Work and Pensions’ November 2024 publication “Pension fund investment and the UK economy” the largest 5 and 10 defined contribution funds (either a Master Trust or GPP) in the UK held 55% and 74% of total DC assets respectively. The report can be found here: Pension fund investment and the UK economy.

The Pension Schemes Act scale provisions require defined contribution multi-employer schemes used for automatic enrolment to have scale of at least £25 billion of assets under management in one main scale default arrangement (MSDA) by 2030 or £10bn if approved for transition pathway relief with a credible plan to achieve scale of £25 billion by 2035. As shown in our Impact Assessment it is anticipated there will be approximately 15-20 multi-employer schemes after the scale reforms have taken place. We will continue to monitor the assets that will be managed by schemes as set out in our recently published Evaluation Strategy.

DWP’s Pension Fund Investment and the UK Economy Report, and the Impact Assessment that supports The Pension Schemes Act 2026, evidence the benefits of how consolidation and scale may be expected to increase investment in UK private markets. These reports evidence how larger pension schemes with over £25bn in assets are best placed to access private markets and that these assets naturally tend to be more UK-focussed, with over a 40% home bias, so have the potential to directly impact the UK economy. The evidence report can be found here: Pension fund investment and the UK economy - GOV.UK and the Impact Assessment here: Impact Assessment.

Evidence suggests there are a range of benefits from schemes achieving a greater level of scale through consolidation. This includes better governance, economies of scale, increased diversification of assets and improved bargaining power.

This evidence suggests a greater number of benefits can arise at £25 billion to £50 billion (or greater) of assets under management, as set out in the Department for Work and Pensions’ November 2024 publication “Pension fund investment and the UK economy”. The report can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pension-fund-investment-and-the-uk-economy/pension-fund-investment-and-the-uk-economy. Increased net returns via lower charges for members and higher net investment returns through diversification, both supported through scale, can drive improved member outcomes. This evidence is set out in the Pension Schemes Act Impact Assessment published in December 2025. The Impact Assessment can be found here: https://bills.parliament.uk/publications/63860/documents/7447.

The Department will continue to monitor the impact of consolidation on charges, as set out in our recently published Evaluation Strategy which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pension-schemes-act-2026-evaluation-strategy/pension-schemes-act-2026-evaluation-strategy.

The Cabinet Office awarded Capita the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme in November 2023 under the previous government.

The current delays facing scheme members are entirely unacceptable, and this Government has taken firm action to resolve them through a clear recovery plan with strict delivery milestones. We have deployed additional resources to expedite priority cases, ensuring that serving and former staff receive the high standard of service they deserve. Regular progress updates remain available to members via the pension portal and GOV.UK.

While Capita committed to a complete return to standard contractual service levels by the end of June 2026, they have failed to meet this critical milestone. The Government is taking robust action to hold Capita to account. This includes withholding £9.9 million in contract payments for undelivered milestones, alongside confirmation that the Government surge team costs will be recovered directly from Capita.

To enforce strict compliance, independent auditors are being deployed to conduct a technical systems review, and an on-the-ground Remedial Adviser is being appointed at Capita’s expense. Further commercial, legal, and operational options remain on the table during the consideration of long-term structural delivery options.

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.

The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension benefits are unacceptable. We want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.

While Capita committed to a complete return to standard contractual service levels by the end of June 2026, they have failed to meet this critical milestone. The Government is taking robust action to hold Capita to account. This includes withholding £9.9 million in contract payments for undelivered milestones, alongside confirmation that the Government surge team costs will be recovered directly from Capita. To enforce strict compliance, independent auditors are being deployed to conduct a technical systems review, and an on-the-ground Remedial Adviser is being appointed at Capita’s expense. Further commercial, legal, and operational options remain on the table during the consideration of long-term structural delivery options.

Capita has issued lump sum payments to 19,362 retired members awaiting their regular pensions, whilst the scheme continues to pay approximately 730,000 existing pensioners on time. To alleviate immediate hardship, employers have issued £16.2 million in Transitional Support Loans to 2,932 members, alongside interest-free bridging loans, ranging from £5,000 to an increased cap of £20,000. Members will fully repay these bridging loans upon receipt of their formal pension payments.

Existing civil servants who have partially retired or a civil servant who retired from 1 January 2025, can contact their employer to access the transitional support loan. The provision of these loans will continue while delays persist.

Pension scheme members not in scope of this loan scheme but who are at risk of experiencing financial hardship due to the delayed payment of their pension, should contact Capita and highlight the financial impact of these delays. Capita will then prioritise resolution of these cases.

For compensation, there is also a statutory complaints process that evaluates claims for financial loss, distress, and inconvenience on a case-by-case basis and is operated in strict accordance with the standards set by the Pensions Ombudsman.