£20,000 bonuses for DWP fatcats
Top civil servants who devised the new benefit system causing hardship to thousands have received bonuses and pay rises of up to £20,000.
Many Universal Credit claimants have had no money for six weeks due to computer issues and slow helplines in trial areas.
A national roll- out of the new benefit is behind schedule – but bosses at the Department for Work and Pensions got bonuses for “top performance” and “leadership”.
Permanent secretary Sir Robert Devereux got up to £20,000 on top of his £185,000 salary last year.
Director general Neil Couling got a bonus of up to £ 20,000 last year. This year, his £ 125,000 salary leapt to £145,000.
Three other directors received bonuses of up to £ 20,000 and one claimed £ 37,600 in travel expenses.
Labour MP Kevan Jones said: “These bonuses are a reward for failure and an insult to many of my constituents who are on the breadline.”