Treasury officials given pay rises up to 30pc
Anger at Whitehall salary increases and bonuses despite teachers and police enduring income freeze
TREASURY civil servants were given pay rises of up to 30 per cent and £15,000 bonuses during the pandemic, despite rows over police and nurses’ pay and Rishi Sunak’s insistence that there was no more money for more public sector workers.
The department’s accounts show that six of the top nine officials who were in their post over the past two years received pay rises last year, while five received a bonus.
Mr Sunak’s chief economist, Clare Lombardelli, received an increase of at least £30,000, bringing her salary to between £150,000 and £155,000.
The top two officials, Sir Tom Scholar and Charles Roxburgh, both received bonuses of between £15,000 and £20,000 on top of their salaries, alongside the Treasury’s head of tax and welfare, Beth Russell.
Tory MPS last night said the pay increases were “completely unacceptable” in a year that saw public sector pay frozen amid concern about government borrowing during the pandemic.
Mr Sunak used this year’s Budget to freeze pay for police and teachers.
NHS nurses and paramedics will receive a 3 per cent rise following a battle with ministers, while local council workers have since been offered a 1.75 per cent increase to their pay. Unions have described the offer as “nowhere near what’s needed”.
The Chancellor said in March: “Given the very obviously difficult fiscal situation that we face ... to try to protect those public-sector jobs, it was reasonable to take a more targeted approach to public-sector pay this year.”
But the annual report of Mr Sunak’s department shows the officials around
him collected pay rises as well as bonuses of up to 9 per cent of their salaries. The total bonuses awarded to seven top officials named in the Treasury’s report are enough to pay five police officers’ annual salaries.
An analysis of last year’s civil service pay showed Treasury officials were paid the most of any department except the
Department of International Development, which has since been abolished.
Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former Tory leader, said the Whitehall pay rises were “bizarre”.
“I would have thought that they would show a bit of sympathy and that even if you were to pay them bonuses, they weren’t paid until everyone was back to work properly,” he said.
“I am surprised at the lack of judgment. Everyone had a tough time last year and I just find it bizarre that anyone would be paid a pay rise at that time. It’s very poor timing and we should use a bit of political nouse on this one.”
Andrew Percy, a Tory MP, said: “If pay had to be frozen for a front-line police officer then it absolutely should be frozen for senior civil servants too.
“It’s completely unacceptable. These people should be following the lead of MPS and ministers, and others in the public sector who are taking a pay freeze this year.”
A government spokesman said: “We need to make sure the civil service is able to attract high calibre people who can deliver quality services and drive forward projects in a way that represents true value to the taxpayer.
“However, very high salaries in the public sector must be justified, so it is absolutely right that we publish this information and allow it to be scrutinised.”