Pensioners Christmas bonus unchanged for 36 years

11.23.19am GMT Wed 2nd Jan 2008

Weston-super-Mare campaigner Mike Bell is calling for better pensions

Local Liberal Democrat campaigner Mike Bell has slammed the huge Christmas bonuses awarded to bosses at the Department of Work and Pensions.

Figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats reveal that 200 senior civil servants in the Department of Work and Pensions have received a total of £1,675,366 in bonuses in 2007, an average of over £8,000 each.

This compares to £13 extra per year given to pensioners over the age of 80 and the yearly pensioner Christmas bonus of £10, which has been frozen since 1972.

Mike Bell said: "These huge bonuses are an insult to Weston pensioners who have been receiving the same measly £10 Christmas bonus for over 30 years.

"How can the department justify spending this amount rewarding officials who are failing to cut child and pensioner poverty?

"The department should be improving its own performance before dishing out massive bonuses to its staff, which are more 600 times the yearly bonus for pensioners at Christmas."

The Christmas bonus is £10, which it has been since its introduction in 1972. When it was established the Basic State Pension was £6.52 a week. The maximum weekly Basic State Pension today is now £87.30.