Pension portal launch fail sends Capita running to Microsoft for help

Capita has sought Microsoft's help after the launch of the Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS) left users facing a malfunctioning website designed to process important financial information.

The UK outsourcing provider launched the CSPS portal on Monday after winning a £239 million ($318 million) contract in November 2023.

Since launch, scheme members have experienced unrecognized passwords and usernames after they had created new accounts. They endured broken and circular links while the website appeared unfinished and untested, with headers and other features displaying dummy text. Crucially, some were unable to enter important information, such as pension beneficiaries.

Last week, the CSPS, public sector union PCS, and Capita signed an agreement confirming union recognition for the workers administering the pension schemes for 1.7 million civil servants.

Following the launch of the new CSPS portal, a PCS spokesperson told The Register: "We are aware of the issues people are having ...