Taxpayers fork out on £1m Whitehall pension pots
DOZENS of senior civil servants have amassed taxpayer-subsidised pension pots worth more than £1million, Whitehall figures reveal.
The lavish deals mean some civil servants will rake in £100,000 a year when they finish work, nearly four times the average salary.
Overall, more than 30 Government mandarins are sitting on the seven-figure gold-plated retirement schemes. It is further evidence the Whitehall gravy train shows no sign of slowing despite the Coalition pledge to curb the exorbitant benefits.
Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood has a pot worth £1.2million, up £100,000 in the past year.
Britain is £1.3trillion in debt, so the last thing we should be doing is handing out massive pensions to retired mandarins
Ministry of Justice permanent secretary Ursula Brennan’s fund is valued at £2million, figures show.
Campaign group the TaxPayers’ Alliance yesterday blasted the figures, urging the Civil Service to reign in fat pension handouts.
John O’Connell at the TaxPayers’ Alliance said: “Britain is £1.3trillion in debt, so the last thing we should be doing is handing out massive pensions to retired mandarins. These golden goodbyes have to be reined in.”
The cost of funding public sector pensions is expected to cost each taxpayer £1,600 a year within the next decade. A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: “Civil Service pensions are contractual arrangements based on factors including grade and length of service. This is no different to other sectors.”