Audience: This Notice will be of particular interest to:
Action: From 26 September employers should refer all pension queries, except reserved decisions (see below), to their Pension Service Centre (PSCs). The Employer Helpdesk in Basingstoke will close from 26 September 2011.
Timing: From 26 September 2011
At present, many employers routinely raise queries with their Pension Service Centre (PSC), on casework and wider scheme issues. All PSCs have Helplines for the use of their customers and have considerable expertise in answering queries.
Employers also raise queries through the Employer Helpdesk, which was set up by Cabinet Office, Civil Service Pensions Division. When MyCSP was created from April 2010, the team of policy experts who answer the Employer Helpdesk queries, and who provided second line support to the PSCs, moved into MyCSP. This team supports the PSCs in answering particularly complex questions.
From 26 September, your PSC is your one stop shop for service from MyCSP for all queries except for queries about reserved decisions (see the list in Annex A). These should be referred directly to Cabinet Office, Scheme Management Executive (SME). If the staff within your PSC cannot answer your query, they will refer it to the second line support team for a response. If, in turn the issue is particularly complex the team will refer it to Cabinet Office, SME for policy advice, as they do now. Please note that you should not approach your Client Relationship Manager with pension queries. Their role is to manage service delivery for you with your nominated representative, and address any issues that arise. Please make direct contact with your PSC.
We recognise that some of the guidance for you as employers could be improved and we are working to bring this up to date. By handling more calls within the PSCs, the support team will be able to focus on improving and updating the guidance. Better guidance will provide you with better support for your role.
As now, we will aim to answer your query on first contact, where possible, and within a maximum of 10 working days. If necessary – for example if it is a complex query that needs to be referred to Cabinet Office, SME, we will give you a holding reply and keep you updated.
From 26 September 2011, please address any pensions queries that you have to your PSC contact (details below), except those relating to reserved decisions listed in Annex A (see below for details of where to send these queries). If your query needs to be referred by your PSC, they may ask you to complete an Enquiry Form (attached with this EPN) to make sure that they have all the relevant details.
Please note that the former Helpdesk email and number will no longer be in use.
Please check if your query is covered by the Employers’ Pension Guide and the Employer Pension Notices before you raise it with your PSC.
If you would rather contact your PSC by email, or if your query is complex, please complete an Enquiry Form and send it directly to your PSC (email addresses below)
Please use your PSC contact for all your queries except reserved decisions or admissions (see below), but including those relating to ill-health referrals. If you have a problem with any aspect of the medical referral process, please contact the Scheme Medical Adviser, currently at Capita Health Solutions, in the first instance.
Reserved decisions: There are some discretionary decisions that can only be made by the Cabinet Office SME. If you need a decision on any of the matters on the list attached at Annex A, please send your query or request directly to the Cabinet Office SME at the following address: SMEreferrals@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk.
Admissions enquiries: If you have an enquiry about organisations’ admission into the Civil Service Pension Scheme, please contact the Cabinet Office SME at the following address: scheme.managementexecutive@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk.
Employer payroll code enquiries: If you have an enquiry about employer payroll codes – such as in a case where a departmental name change or change of payroll provider is taking place – please contact your PSC.
Partnership payroll and employer code enquiries: If you have a query relating to the partnership payroll and employer codes, please address these to: helpdeskmove.feedback@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
We will keep the process under review. If you have any comments or feedback, please address these to: helpdeskmove.feedback@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Please contact your PSC, preferably by email, if you have any pension queries except reserved decisions or admissions.
Cheadle Hulme
Employer specific email address: MyCSP-CheadleHulmeEmployers@mod.uk
Telephone: 01225 747918
Fax: 0161 426 7454
General email address: MyCSP-CheadleHulme@mod.uk
Liverpool
Employer specific email address: mycsp.ehelpliverpool@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Telephone: 0845 0000012
General email address: pensions.customerservices@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Newcastle
Employer specific email address: mycspehelp.newcastle@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
DWP Employer Telephone: 0845 600 1405
Non DWP Employer Telephone: 08700 100597
General email address: mycsp.newcastle@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Worthing
Email: MyCSPehelpWorthing@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk
Telephone: 01903 705500 - Option 1 for Customer Service Team
Capita Hartshead
Employers should contact/ask to speak to their usual pensions administrator Online contact form: http://csp.hartlinkonline.co.uk/
Telephone: 01737 357272
Fax: 01737 366097
Xafinity Paymaster
Email: [your department acronym]@xafinitypaymaster.com Employers should contact/ask to speak to their usual pension administration team leader
Telephone: 01253 879270
Contacts:
Enquiries about content, distribution or to receive in a different format
employerhelpdesk@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk
01256 846414
Employer Helpdesk
Civil Service Pensions
Grosvenor House
Basing View
Basingstoke
RG21 4HG