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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Can't locate my dbs which they asked for the original. It has confidential information with all my details. I have to pay for another, no offer from sscl. Such a monstrous bureaucracy.Badly nanaged.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Utterly incompetent with no attempt made to provide decent service. They've been getting my pay wrong for the last 6 months - underpaid by more than £100 a month. They keep rejecting every effor... See more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Horrendous. Quite what these people do I do not know. I am a current prison officer and am moving to a different prison. 7 months later my application is still on going after SSCL have mucked up at ev... See more

1.2

Bad

TrustScore 1 out of 5

66 reviews

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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

This company deserves the minus rating

This company deserves a minus rating. I needed a police check from Germany which I applied for in Bonn. I informed them it was in process. They suddenly sent me an email saying my application (and consequently job) was withdrawn because I didn't do it in time. No time schedule was ever given to me and I did it immediately. Their "live chat" is impossible to get through to. I think this is the worst company I have ever dealt with. Utterly dysfunctional in every regard.

14 August 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Not fit for purpose

If I could give zero stars, I would. My experience with SSCL has been nothing short of appalling. Despite repeated assurances, they failed to submit a corrected EYU (Employer Payment Summary) to HMRC, resulting in prolonged issues with my tax records. This has caused significant financial hardship and stress over several months.

Every time I contacted them, I was met with vague responses, deflection, or unfulfilled promises. Even after being told the correction had been made, HMRC confirmed it was still incorrect. I had to chase them relentlessly for answers, only to be given inaccurate or misleading information.

The level of incompetence and lack of accountability is staggering, especially from a company trusted to handle payroll and data for UK government departments. The mental toll this experience has taken on me is immense, and I am now pursuing compensation and considering legal action.

If your income, tax, or records depend on SSCL, be prepared for errors, delays, and a complete lack of care when something goes wrong. They do not follow up, they do not take responsibility, and they certainly do not deliver anything close to a professional service. Avoid them at all costs if you can.

25 July 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

AVOID AT ALL COSTS

I advise that if you do a vetting process through this company for a job, run, run far and never ever go through it, I wouldn’t even consider a job who use this company.

Vetters have a poor approach to the vetting interview, they don’t ask questions and are unprepared.

The company I work for and colleagues have experienced numerous problems, people being denied (including myself) despite having no criminal record, I feel they take the fee for the vetting process and deny people on a whim, this company should be dissolved or restructured, the fact government bodies use this third party for vetting processes speaks volumes, an absolutely shocking company I will never deal with again.

17 January 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Failing company with no excuses.

It took 18 months for this company to realise they had overpaid me, then they wanted the money back in 3 payments. £3000!
They would not give any information on why this happened, just saying it was "an error". This is actually the second time that this has happened, and pay/allowances were queried during that period.
And today, though I retired in May, I have received what looks like a payslip from them, with no covering letter explaining what it is for.
This company is failing in one of it's core functions, and has done so from the start of it's contract.

31 October 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Time they lost their contract with the…

Time they lost their contract with the government. They lost bast amounts of information after an attack. Not even based in the UK.

Used no doubt as its cheap. They refuse to help and hide behind pathetic sops you have to use to contact them. If its wrong box you post to, they delete.

They cause people such stress and lead to investigations by other departments. Time them were sued off the planet

31 October 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Clueless and incompetent !

Clueless and incompetent !
They are good at giving you lots of false and misleading information.
They are also good at sending your paperwork to the wrong departments.
Very good at 'tipping off' their co workers at Medigold - healthcare providers. They are in 'cahoots' together.
Ironically, their department is called 'Employee Casework', however, in my experience,they don't have the employees interests at heart .
They will stab you in the back at the first opportunity.

SSCL South team have mismanaged my application from start to finish.
They don't follow policy guidelines and make up their own rules to suit themselves.
They have continued to say that my previous job title was 'Admin General', I have never worked in Admin, not even
close !

This key bit of mis information was sent on HR paperwork to the Medigold staff so I believe that they based their assessments on me as working in an Admin role.

I could go on with errors made.
Don't trust the process. They are lazy, sloppy and generally don't know how the process works.
More quality training is needed.
The politeness of language used via e mail was good and could sway expectations but it does get a bit much, a bit like ' have a blessed day ' in the Handmaid's Tale.
Don't be afraid to challenge them and ask for all your records that have been sent to Medigold. This proc3ss from the records dept can take 20 days but you really need to do it due to the incompetence and lack of trust.
Later on in the process, ask for all info under the freedom of information act on anything they write about you.
However,they get lots of time to change content if needed and encourages more phone contact between their departments .
Check everything properly as they get important details wrong.
Don't know if this is done intentionally in order to be deceiving,misleading or just pure incompetence?
They are either good at trying to confuse and mislead you by referring to '3rd party' has this, another '3rd party' has that etc or they genuinely don't know the process themselves.
I have no confidence in their ability at all.
You buy cheap, you get cheap!
Useless !!
It will take a lot longer but go through complaints procedure, then IDR process, then Pensions Ombudsman.
It is the only way to raise awareness and stop their unfair and unprofessional practices.
✊️

20 August 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Incompetent company

They couldn't figure out what grade I was and got my contract wrong. SSCL didn't complete necessary paperwork for a transfer and after 2 years awaiting them to fix they claimed the didn't have the form. After submitting a subject access request I saw evidence that they did have it. As they tried to "fix" the issue they sent me a wage payment (this 2 years after leaving) then demanded it back. The next month demanded even more money, this time the money hadn't been received into my bank, they now demand I pay them over 2k they never sent me.

They are incompetent, there's no other word for it. Before going to a department ask them who handles their HR and if SSCL is an organisation they use, if so do not accept the job.

5 July 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Complete incompetence

Complete incompetence. Natural end of my part time part yr working patter and move to a part time patter from the very next day. Because their useless system can t make a change in the week, a workaround has been done to make it a Monday and then they take over £100 in overpayment saying I needed my part time part yr early which I didn’t. On number 3 complaint and obviously can’t be bothered and repeat told I ended my previous part time early. I didn’t so next complaint and told it because you need a different form. I sent the form they required twice!!! Email states full investigation well if it was a full investigation would have know I send the form twice! I am not writing off over £100!!

18 June 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Utterly incompetent with no attempt…

Utterly incompetent with no attempt made to provide decent service.

They've been getting my pay wrong for the last 6 months - underpaid by more than £100 a month. They keep rejecting every effort to resolve it, and simply close the reports down. My employer is decent and I'm loath to lodge a grievance for wrongful deduction of earnings, but as they use SSCL then they;re responsible for SSCLs shabby service.

16 April 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

This was an absolutely absymal service

This was an absolutely absymal service, involving confidentiality breaches, rude incompetent utterly inept treatment both of my referees and myself - so shocking that I actually withdrew from the role I was intending to accept - on grounds of integrity I would not even want to work for an organisation that hired SSCL for any part of their service requirement. One can only wonder how on EARTH they were ever awarded a public sector contract. I have advised my JCP Manageress who has fed the complaint upwards now.

8 April 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

What do they actually do?

What do they actually do? They seem to sit around waiting for you to call them, they you gave to chase your own references up because they can't be bothered to keep trying.

25 March 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

WRITE AND COMPLAIN AT

WRITE AND COMPLAIN AT
Resourcing Customer Insight sscl
the team

They have to change! Ii si not acceptable. it is not because they are behind the screen that they can be rude incompetent and do not deliver!

30 January 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I have to concur with the other…

I have to concur with the other comments here. I have experience with SSCL via various employers payroll and as recruitment mediators for civil service. Utter incompetence in all areas of their work. I am going to write to my MP to ask for a review of why this company is being given tax payers money for NOT doing what they signed up to do. Appaling

1 January 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Incompetent and heartless

Notified SSCL in January 2022 of change in work pattern to commence March 2022. Between which time many emails chasing up my change over to a new work pattern. Between myself , SSCL and various levels of management. By July 2022 I left my employment due to ill health after 25 years service. My pay had still not been rectified! Two days before Christmas 2022 I got a letter demanding immediate repayment of the over payment. After many emails they agreed a payment plan as I had no income due to my health. By this time it was March 2023. I set up a standing order and payment commenced. I got a letter from SSCL today, 26th January 2024, saying I hadn't paid from May 2023 onwards instalments. I went to the bank and sure enough they have been paid. These people have no idea how badly they have affected my health. Incompetent and do not care about anyone. Absolute nightmare

26 January 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

There’s bad & there’s eye watering incompetence at SSCL

How this company survives with the outstanding incompetence it displays on a daily basis is beyond me. Yet it keeps winning government contracts, ripping the public off. My guess is the company goes in with very low bids at tender stage, in the sure knowledge that civil servants are just too dumb to know how to manage a contract, so SSCL can treat its clients’ staff with complete indifference & rudeness with no comeback. I also guess SSCL treats its own staff despicably. A case of “pay peanuts, get monkeys”. And, boy, have I had to deal with some monkeys. My latest experience is indirectly thru Defra - definitely a case of incompetence, both in client & supplier. I pity any poor s0d that finds themselves in the employ of an organisation that uses SSCL for its contracted-out services. If I had any clout, I’d demand a thorough audit of SSCL & how it liberally wastes taxpayers’ cash. I’d also sack any civil servant responsible for awarding a contract to this shower of shysters.

12 December 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

SSCL is not even worth a 1 star rating

SSCL is not even worth a 1 star rating.
This has to be the worst company I have ever dealt with. They are playing God with people's lives. Their staff are beyond incompetent and completely clueless about everything which makes a horrible situation even worse. SSCL must know how dreadful they are as they have 1 contact number which takes you to a call centre full of slopey shouldered people who 'can't comment' on things.
I will forever hold a grudge against this company as they have ruined my life.

1 October 2023
Unprompted review

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