Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Politics
Nigel Nelson

Civil service fat cats set to lose bumper pay-offs in Government clampdown

Whitehall fat cats are set to lose their bumper payoffs in a crackdown on severance bonanzas in the public sector.

Treasury Secretary Stephen Barclay plans to cap discretionary payments, which can be as much as £500,000.

And he is looking at ways to stop those with who get them walking straight into another job.

He said: “I was alarmed by the size of payouts often linked to poor performance.

“And people had a habit of reappearing at a later of date in the public square.”

The Government last month abandoned plans to limit golden handshakes at £95,000 after unions said it would hit lower-paid workers.

Rishi Sunak will reveal plans to balance Britain's books after a year of unprecedented public spending (PA)

The crackdown will be imposed on local government executives, NHS bosses and headteachers.

Former Northumberland council chief Steven Mason was given a £370,000 payoff and four months later got a job at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on £180,000 a year.

Slough chief exec Roger Parkin got £142,200 severance and early pension payments of nearly £340,000.

TaxPayers’ Alliance boss John O’Connell said the clampdown was “the least taxpayers expect”.

Some senior civil servants get huge payoffs for poor performance then another lucrative public job soon after (Getty Images/Cultura RF)

He said: “Rules need to ensure top mandarins and town hall bosses can’t slip through with legal loopholes.”

A consultation on the changes is expected to be unveiled in Rishi Sunak ’s long-term money-raising plans on Tuesday – dubbed Tax Day.

The Chancellor is also expected to cut down on inheritance tax red tape.

  • No10 said the Queen’s Speech to announce new building safety rules, asylum reform and the end of fixed-term Parliaments will be on May 11.
Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.