PRISON workers demanded their pension service be brought back in-house today, as the privately run system ran up a huge backlog of 120,000 cases in February.

The Prison Officers’ Association (POA) said there was “no room for profit to be made” on the backs of pensioners at their annual conference.

Delegates slammed Capita for contributing to a “pensions crisis,” saying the firm had failed to deal with an additional 24,000 cases over the past three months.

Thousands of retired prison workers have been left without their expected payments since Capita took over administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme in December, having signed a £239 million contract to cover around 1.5m current and former civil servants.

POA assistant general secretary Andy Baxter said: “It’s vital that we get this message out in the public eye about what we can only describe as a pensions crisis.

“It’s absolutely appalling. We hear cases on a daily basis of people who’ve suffered bereavement, in some cases up to 10 months earlier, who have still not received any of their pensions.

“Our members dedicate decades of service in some of the most difficult working environments imaginable. They deserve to have confidence that when their time comes to retire, the pensions will be administered professionally.

“These are not small administrative errors, they create real financial anxiety and uncertainty at a critical point in our members’ lives.”

In a debate which included testimony from POA branches around the country, delegates agreed to demand “accountability” from Capita, which has failed to “deliver proper standards of service.”

Mr Baxter added: “The administration of civil service pensions must be brought back in house.

“There’s no room for profit to be made at the expense of misery and anxiety for our members, or the families of deceased members.”

A Capita spokesperson said: “We continue to work with the Cabinet Office to establish normal service levels. Additional trained resource remains in place, and our focus is on ensuring members of the Civil Service Pension Scheme receive the service they expect and deserve. We are sorry for the worry and frustration any delays are causing.”