LTB 095/21 - Pensions: RMSPS - Members' (CRAP) Website Administered by Capita

[POSTMAN]

https://www.cwu.org/ltb/ltb-095-21-pens ... by-capita/

LTB 095/21 – Pensions: RMSPS – Members’ Website Administered by Capita
No. 095/2021

5th March 2021

Dear Colleagues

PENSIONS: RMSPS – MEMBERS’ WEBSITE ADMINISTERED BY CAPITA

Branches are advised that last year we were approached by the Cabinet Office with the aim of raising awareness of the existence of the Royal Mail Statutory Pension Scheme (RMSPS) website and portal administered by Capita. It was evident that the website was under-utilised as only 6% of scheme members had registered for an online account. We responded positively to the Cabinet Office and were very happy to work with them to promote the website as it is vitally important our Royal Mail and Post Office scheme members are able to plan and prepare effectively for retirement by knowing how to access their pension information.

Cabinet Office Representatives together with our Communications Department have produced various materials promoting the RMSPS website including a Podcast featuring Alan Pickering, who has been the Chair of the governance group of the RMSPS since its inception, and myself which can be accessed via the following link:

Royal Mail Statutory Pension Scheme by CWU The U Word (soundcloud.com) (Link doesn't work)

My thanks go to Amie Retallick, Deputy Head of Communications for her efforts in producing the Podcast and also the associated members’ comms which will be supplemented by a feature in the forthcoming publication of The Voice.

Poor Accessibility to Capita’s Website – Technical Issues Being Addressed

On Wednesday 3rd March we advised all members via email, WhatsApp and various social media platforms how to follow the 7 steps in the attached document to sign up to the online portal which can be found at https://www.royalmailsps.co.uk/

Unfortunately it quickly became clear there were some serious technical issues regarding members accessing the RMSPS website. Members have been quick to advise us of the significant problems they have encountered when trying to navigate around the web page and we thank Branches, Reps and members for alerting us to these problems. In this regard, please be assured we have shared all enquiries received directly with the Cabinet Office who in turn met with Capita yesterday with the aim of resolving these issues as soon as possible.

We are obviously disappointed with this position and have expressed our view to the Cabinet Office, who fully understand. Indeed it is regrettable our members have had this poor experience. However, had we not promoted the RMSPS website we wouldn’t have been aware of these issues and therefore we now have real evidence that the website needs to be overhauled by Capita to make it more user friendly and fit for purpose.

We fully recognise there is a high degree of frustration around this matter, with members heavily criticising, via social media, the poor technical experience when trying to access the website. Thankfully, due to the feedback received, this has galvanised Capita via the Cabinet Office to rectify this situation. I wish to stress these problems are not of the making of the Union and indeed this has only come to light as a consequence of us proactively raising the profile of the website and the important information that should be readily accessible to our members.

It would be appreciated if Branches could respond to member enquiries by providing them with this LTB which should also be shared as widely as possible to provide both our Royal Mail and Post Office members in the RMSPS scheme with the reassurance and comfort that urgent steps are being taken to rectify these website problems. Hopefully this matter will be resolved in the coming days.

Further developments will be reported.

Yours sincerely

Andy Furey
Assistant Secretary

Attachment to 21LTB095 – RMSPS – Online Portal

[NWpostie]

I tried to sign up a whike2 back and it didn't show much and was pretty much useless.

Like Capita really.

[stephen500]

I signed up and use it to check my monthly pension pay slip, which updates at least a week before it is paid.
It is good for that.

[POSTMAN]

I tried to sign up, realised I had signed up before, went through internet hell to get all details re sent, logged on, boring as f**k lol all it showed me was a pdf of the pension thing they send out eacy year.
Pointless.

[mrcurve]

The site had a fault, but this seems to have been fixed, so I got to sign up ok in the end, the website is slow though, is this down to us all having a look at the same time or just a poor website.

the Retirement illustator in the purple box was interesting and worth the sign up for me.