Civil Servants are offered £30MILLION in reward playing cards as a reward for their ‘good performance’

Thousands and thousands of lbs worth of Greggs, Nandos and Primark vouchers have been handed out to reward Civil Servants this 12 months.

In 2022, just about £30 million of taxpayer funds was employed for reward cards and even money rewards for great general performance.

The total used was a important improve on prior many years, even with 50 % of personnel in some departments continuing to function from dwelling publish-Covid and failings in some Whitehall departments.

The vouchers, which go up to £100 per individual, can be applied in restaurants or shops, The Sun reports. 

Virtually £30 million was invested on cafe and browsing vouchers for Civil Servants as a reward regardless of a massive range of employees customers performing from dwelling and failings in some Whitehall departments 

This year £29.6 million of taxpayer dollars was made use of for rewards, an boost of £7 million on the £22.2 million invested in 2020 and a considerable raise on the £17.9 million invested in 2018/19. 

The International Workplace was the department that splashed the most money on its Civil Servants, expending £9.9 million, with some of the money being handed out as a income bonus.

The Division for Work and Pensions spent £5.9 million on its Civil Servants in 2022 despite a 3rd of its 96,000 staff members not doing work in the workplace, in accordance to the newest government occupancy stats.

The Home Business, that has frequently arrive beneath fire this yr for ongoing migrant disaster and passport backlogs, handed out £6.6million in vouchers, a important rise from the £1.2million in 2018/19.

The vouchers were for dining establishments these types of as Greggs and Nandos, and stores like Primark. Some staff were being even presented income prizes. Pictured: Greggs gift card

The Cabinet Place of work, Section for Trade and Department of Society, Media and Activity also noticed the amount of money used on vouchers increase. 

The Health, Atmosphere and Defence departments, nevertheless, refused to disclose the figures. 

It comes as the head of the biggest civil support union warned the Governing administration that ‘co-ordinated and synchronised’ industrial motion could choose spot in the New 12 months, which include strikes from firefighters, lecturers and junior medical professionals.

Speaking in the course of the 1st established of strike motion from the Public and Professional Solutions Union (PCS), as thousands of Border Pressure employees walked out, the standard secretary Mark Serwotka referred to as for the Authorities to negotiate.

The Section for Perform and Pensions expended £5.9 million on its personnel in 2022 despite a 3rd of its 96,000 team not functioning in the business, in accordance to the most recent government occupancy stats. Pictured: Primark voucher

He informed Sky News: ‘If we go into 2023 with tens of millions of people struggling in-perform poverty, together with the government’s very own staff members, something has to be performed. 

‘So they either negotiate, or I imagine we will see the action escalate.’

Article-pandemic, when Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was Chancellor, he imposed a general public sector fork out freeze for a year from April 2021. 

The Head of the TaxPayers’ Alliance criticised the benefits, pointing to failings within just the Wellness Office, this kind of as long GP wait around moments, and failings more than fixing crime.   

John O’Connell The Sunshine: ‘This is a slap in the deal with as civil servants threaten strikes — and when anything from obtaining GP appointments to fixing criminal offense appears broken.

The Household Business, that has frequently come beneath hearth this 12 months for ongoing migrant disaster and passport backlogs, handed out £6.6million in vouchers, a important rise from the £1.2million in 2018/19. Pictured: Nandos Present Card

‘Maybe these vouchers would be reasonable if expert services had been staying sent.

‘Families are tightening belts and possibly community sector top brass ought to also.’

Labour MP Florence Eshalomi, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary, slammed the Government accusing it of double specifications.

She mentioned: ‘As ministers are refusing even to talk about nurses’ pay out, we now explore they acquired about their personal pay freeze by giving out history figures of vouchers.’

In January hundreds of nurses approach to stroll out of hospitals in England, Wales and Northern Eire yet again, as the Royal Higher education of Nursing continues to battle with the Government to receive an above-inflation pay rise. 

It arrives as the head of the most significant civil provider union warned the Govt that ‘co-ordinated and synchronised’ industrial action could consider put in the New 12 months, such as strikes from firefighters, instructors and junior physicians. Pictured: Customers of the Community and Commercial Companies (PCS) on the picket line at Gatwick this week

Resources told The Sun that the scheme previously happened when Labour was in electrical power much more than a decade ago.

They also stated voucher benefits were on a regular basis utilised in the public and personal sector. 

A Federal government spokesman advised The Sun: ‘Reward and recognition techniques have a good influence on personnel morale.

‘All personal awards adhere to an established approval system to make certain price for revenue.’