CIRC 006: NATIONAL CHAIR UPDATE JANUARY 2026

Please bring the contents of this circular to the attention of all POA members.

New Pension Provider CAPITA

The POA regularly meet with Cabinet Office as part of a Joint Trade Union's Pension Group. On the run-up to the transfer of pension provision from MyCSP to CAPITA, the Joint Unions Group pressed very hard for Cabinet Office to bring Civil Service Pensions back in House rather than be reliant upon a contractor. Cabinet Office declined to bring Civil Service Pensions back in House due to not having an IT solution. The Civil Service Pension IT systems were the property of MyCSP and MyCSP intended to withdraw access to their IT systems at the point that they lost the contract. The Joint Union Group, including the POA met with Directors of Capita in the week prior to the transfer, who assured all the Trade Unions that the process of transition would be smooth and would offer an improved service significantly above the previous service provided by MyCSP. As we now know, the transition has been anything but smooth. The main issue appears to be the failure of data transfer frustrated by MyCSP owning the IT.

In addition, a significant 90,000 case work backlog of applications to put pensions into payment, complaints and IDR (Internal Dispute Resolution) escalations was discovered that had not been part of the Capita bid. The POA continues to meet Cabinet Office almost weekly to seek assurances around potential solutions, at present none are forthcoming.

I am urging affected members to write to their local MPs to complain about the issues they face due to the failed transition to CAPITA. The POA continue to raise concerns and press the Government to bring pension provision back in House. We urge all POA members to do the same.

 

Meeting with David Lammy MP Deputy Prime Minister

The General Secretary and I held an in person meeting with the Secretary of State for Justice David Lammy MP, during which we raised a number of concerns including lowering the retirement age of Prison Officers, the right to strike, pay, staff safety and violence, the immigration status of overseas staff and the diabolical situation in relation to the new pensions provider. This was a constructive and positive meeting and we now have ongoing work to resolve, in particular, the campaign to lower the retirement age.

 

Market Supplements

We have been informed by HMPPS of the following changes in Market Supplement payments:

“Following the first annual review under the Market Supplements Framework, HMPPS supported by prison AEDs have made the decision to commence the gradual erosion or downgrading of Market Supplements at four prisons. The following changes will take effect from 1^st April 2026:

• Downgrading of the Red Plus Market Supplement to Red at HMP Aylesbury
• Gradual erosion of Red Market Supplements at HMP Standford Hill, Grendon, and Huntercombe.

As set out in the Market Supplements Framework, where supplements are eroded or downgraded a gradual erosion mechanism will apply. We expect supplements to be eroded at a rate of £500 per year, in equal monthly amounts, and this will be applied following the introduction of the pay award. This approach will ensure staff experience no decrease in take-home pay, and means that a Red Plus supplement will be downgraded to a Red supplement within 3 years, and a Red supplement will be eroded fully within 4 years.

 

Transition from TUBU (Tackling Unacceptable Behaviour Unit) to Independent Review Resolution and Investigation Service (IRRIS)

All POA members working within Public Sector Prisons in England and Wales are advised of the following:

The Independent Review, Resolution and Investigation Service (IRRIS) will be launched on 26^th January, superseding TUBU. The new Employee Independent Complaints Unit (EICU), staffed by MOJ colleagues, will also be in place from 26^th January. From 26^th January, the interim grievance team (currently comprised of Rademaker Project Team members and TUBU) will stand down and the following will be in place:

• The Employee Independent Complaints Unit (EICU) will receive HMPPS BHDV (Bullying, harassment, discrimination and victimisation) complaints submitted via the interim grievance process.
• EICU will direct these to IRRIS for triage.

• “Outside of the business unit’ will include dedicated decision managers with relevant skills and qualifications in IRRIS who will handle cases from BHDV complainants up to and including HMPPS Band 7 (“up to and including HMPPS Band 7” is to ensure compliance with the existing policy requirement of Decision Manager being 1 grade above complainant).
• Any sexual harassment/assault cases which come through as employee complaints/grievances will initially be handled by IRRIS and they will maintain oversight of these cases.

The majority of BHDV complaints will continue to be directed to area SPOCs (Single points of contact) who ensure that someone independent within the area i.e. outside of the management line, handles the grievance.

 

Urgent Warranty Query Unit

In an attempt to eradicate releases in error HMCTS (His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service) launched the Urgent Warrant Query Unit (UWQU) in December 2025. This service has been extended till 6pm Monday to Friday. The unit provides a dedicated escalation route for Prison Offender Management Unit (OMU) staff who need an urgent response to a warrant query or Court outcome where there is risk an offender could be held unlawfully or released in error.

Courts will remain the OMU’s first point of contact for all urgent queries about warrants or Court outcomes and emails must include ‘Urgent - Prison Immediate Release/Unlawful Detention Issue in the subject line.

Courts will respond within one hour.

Where there is no response, or where it is felt there is no time to wait for a Court response, the OMU can contact the UWQU for support.

The UWQU operates between 8:30am and 6pm Monday to Friday, providing a dedicated escalation route between HMCTS and the Prison Offender Management Unit.

urgentwarrantqueryunit@justice.gov.uk

or call 0330 808 4459

 

Staff who have regraded

Any POA member who has been forced to regrade from an Operational Prison Officer role Bands 3-5 with two years pay protection due to ill health, should note that if they wish to return to their substantive operational role prior to the cessation of that two year protected period, there is no longer a requirement for them to take a fitness test in order to return to their original operational position. As long as an OH report, GP reports including any specialist reports confirm that you are fit for all operational duties and can provide full and effective service, you will be able to return to your original operational position.

 

Judicial challenge to remove PAVA from the YCS estate

I am pleased to confirm that a recent legal challenge by the Howard League to have PAVA removed from the YCS Estate has failed on all counts. Every argument they put forward failed and the Courts ruled that PAVA in the YCS Estate is legal, therefore dismissing the case.

 

Ask the Chair Podcast

Questions are invited on any subject whatsoever for the next edition of the ask the chair podcast. Feel free to ask me anything. The intention is to offer an entertaining and informative podcast. Questions can be emailed to: askthechair@poauk.org.uk

 

All the best.

 

Mark Fairhurst
National Chair