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Taxpayers have
funded top civil servants’ pension pots amounting to £150
million, according to figures uncovered by the Liberal Democrats.
The figures show that the average pension pot among the top ten
civil servants across 19 Government departments is over £800,000,
which could provide an income in retirement of more than £60,000
a year.
In contrast, the average pension pot among members of the public
is worth just £25,000, providing an annual income of £1,100.
Jenny Willott, Liberal Democrat shadow work and pensions secretary,
commented: “While many people can barely afford to save for
retirement, it is difficult to justify the extraordinarily generous
taxpayer contribution they are forced to pay into top mandarins’
schemes.
“These costs are clearly exorbitant compared to what the public
can expect their own employers to put in. The Government cannot
afford to stick its head in the sand any longer over public sector
pensions.”
Willott said that an independent commission is necessary to look
at the options for reform of pensions for the next generation of
public sector employees. “They must be fair and affordable
both for civil servants and taxpayers,” she added.
- Pensions Age
August 2008
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