Information regarding Remedial Service Statements (RSS): FOI Review

Information requested

Original Request 202500453137

1. The total number of retired officers impacted by the McCloud ruling that have still to receive a Remedial Service Statement (RSS) to date of this submission.

2. Break down the answer to question 1 into respective categories you use to differentiate between cases.  

3. The average time taken to complete a review and issue an RSS by SPPA staff and or agency workers employed to complete this work

4. The number of RSS’s completed on a weekly basis by SPPA staff or agency staff tasked with completing the work.

5. The average time taken to act on completed RSS’s from receipt by the SPPA to a member receiving payment.

6. How many SPPA staff and or agency workers are dedicated to completing the reviews and production of RSS’s.

7. Are members expected to pay potential contribution shortfalls interest etc, or can this be taken out of the interest or monies due to the retired member.

Response

I have now completed my review of our response to your request under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA) for information related to SPPA's remedy response.

In your original request for information you asked us for:

1. The total number of retired officers impacted by the McCloud ruling that have still to receive a Remedial Service Statement (RSS) to date of this submission.

2. Break down the answer to question 1 into respective categories you use to differentiate between cases.  

3. The average time taken to complete a review and issue an RSS by SPPA staff and or agency workers employed to complete this work

4. The number of RSS’s completed on a weekly basis by SPPA staff or agency staff tasked with completing the work.

5. The average time taken to act on completed RSS’s from receipt by the SPPA to a member receiving payment.

6. How many SPPA staff and or agency workers are dedicated to completing the reviews and production of RSS’s.

7. Are members expected to pay potential contribution shortfalls interest etc, or can this be taken out of the interest or monies due to the retired member.

Our response advised that:

1. The total number of retired officers impacted by the McCloud ruling that have still to receive a Remedial Service Statement (RSS) to date of this submission is approx. 5000.

2. Protected approx. 3,600, Unprotected approx. 200, Tapered approx. 1,200.

3. The issuing of RSS is in the process of being automated to minimise manual effort, therefore the time taken by an agency worker is not applicable.

4. The bulk issuing of RSS has not yet commenced.

5. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Public Pensions Agency does not have this information, as bulk issuing has not yet commenced.

6. The issuing of RSS is in the process of being automated to minimise manual effort, therefore the number of agency workers is not applicable.

7. A liability owed to the scheme by an immediate choice member for underpaid contributions and interest must be paid but can be netted off against any arrears of pension benefits due to be paid to the member by the scheme.

You have expressed dissatisfaction with the above response and specifically in relation to the answers provided to points 3,4,5 & 6, and specifically to the answer to point 4 in relation to the automation process.

I have been asked to undertake a review of the response we have provided as I was not involved in any part of the initial request stage.

Response to your request

I have reviewed the case and I have concluded that the original response was correct without modifications.

I have spoken to the staff who authored the original reply and understand they intended the phrase “agency staff” to cover all individuals working on behalf of the Scottish Public Pensions Agency – whether on permanent or temporary contracts.

I do not think the choice of phrasing was clear or helpful in answering your question and I apologise for this. I have spoken to our staff involved and SPPA FOI team are learning from this incident.

As requested I have reviewed the case and provided a further response below:

3. The average time taken to complete a review and issue an RSS by SPPA staff and or agency workers employed to complete this work.

The issuing of RSS is in the process of being automated to minimise manual effort, therefore the time taken by an agency worker is not applicable.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

In developing the capability to process these RSS cases, where by some are automated and some manual, our systems do not record the time taken for each individual case to allow us to calculate this.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

4. The number of RSS’s completed on a weekly basis by SPPA staff or agency staff tasked with completing the work.

The bulk issuing of RSS has not yet commenced.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

At the time of your request bulk issuing had not commenced as such the information was not held and should have been refused under section 17 (1). This information started to become available from the 10 March 2025.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

5. The average time taken to act on completed RSS’s from receipt by the SPPA to a member receiving payment.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Public Pensions Agency does not have this information, as bulk issuing has not yet commenced.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

In developing the capability to process these RSS cases, where by some are automated and some manual, our systems do not record the time taken for each individual case to allow us to calculate this.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

6. How many SPPA staff and or agency workers are dedicated to completing the reviews and production of RSS’s.

The issuing of RSS is in the process of being automated to minimise manual effort, therefore the number of agency workers is not applicable.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

Complex cases involve many members of our organization with different expertise not just the operations staff, policy, but transformation to mailroom colleagues as such we are unable to specify how many staff have been involved in working to issue RSS.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.