Prime Minister David Cameron has been accused of overseeing a “bonus bonanza” after Whitehall bureaucrats pocketed more than £90million in pay-outs last year
The Huffington Post reported that in the year to April, 12 Government departments forked out £89.4million in bonuses to staff. The most rewarding was the Department for Work and Pensions, which handed out £42.1million in bonuses to its staff – £38.1million of which went to Senior Civil Servants.
Labour MP Andrew Gwynne, who uncovered the figures, said: “For all his talk of belt-tightening, these figures show that David Cameron is happy to splash the cash on bonuses. “Whilst the NHS is in crisis, this bonus bonanza would pay for thousands of new nurses.”
In 2012, then-Treasury minister Danny Alexander vowed to end bonuses for “run of the mill performance” as the coalition Government slashed departmental budgets. Since 2010-11 the Government has restricted awards for senior civil servants to the top 25 per cent of performers. The overall figures show the amount paid out in total has fallen since 2012/13, down 13 per cent.
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However the departments for Business, Education, Transport, Health and Wales all paid out more in bonuses for 2014/15 than the previous year.
International Development, Environment, Work and Pensions, Defence, Northern Ireland, Health and Scotland all paid out less in bonuses.
