Question
I thank the Minister for her update. I appreciate the focus on complex cases—Members across the House are dealing with many of them—but can I ask that she also looks at the paid-for fast-track services? I have a constituent who paid almost £700 for a pension valuation in order to finalise his divorce. It was expected within 10 working days, but it took nine months; the wait cost him several times the original amount. Does the Minister agree that that is entirely unacceptable? What action will she take to ensure that Capita refunds any payments taken for so-called fast-track services that are nothing of the kind?
Answer
I am sorry to hear about the experience of my hon. Friend’s constituent. It is absolutely disgraceful that they have been treated that way by Capita. If she could write to me with the details of that case, I am happy to look at it, and to see if there is any further assistance that I can provide.25% vibes
Verdict: AMBER (35/100) DEFERRED
The reply strongly signals that the nine-month wait for treatment is unacceptable, calling it "absolutely disgraceful", but it does not engage with the nine-month figure or the 10-working-day expectation. On the question of what action will be taken over refunds from Capita, it gives no substantive answer: it asks for the case details in writing and says the Minister will look at the case. Because the reply is mostly vague and defers its substantive answer, the person who asked would likely need to follow up for specific commitments.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Does the Minister agree that the nine-month wait for a pension valuation under the paid-for fast-track service, against an expected 10 working days, is unacceptable? | Addressed | Hedged | The reply does not literally say the nine-month wait is unacceptable, but calling the treatment "absolutely disgraceful" is a clear, strong expression of agreement that it is unacceptable. The reply is vibes-based and never engages with the nine-month figure or the 10-working-day expectation, so specificity is hedged. |
| What action will the Government take to ensure that Capita refunds payments taken for fast-track services that did not deliver a fast-track service? | Deferred | Generic | The reply never addresses what action will be taken on refunds from Capita. It asks for the case details in writing and says the Minister will look at the case, which defers the substantive answer until that information is received. |