The burgeoning cost of the UK civil service which administers the UK state machinery
The cost of the UK civil service is up 66% to 19.8 billion from £13 billion since 2020 (and numbers are up by 15%.
PETER HALLIGAN
Oh, and by the way, they are ‘expected’ to attend the office for just 3 days a week and 4,000 (designated as contractual home workers) get free gas and electricity. (plus 33 days holiday a year and a few weeks sick leave.
You may ask what has happened to the actual smount of work done tht requires 15% more workers get pai an extra 2/3 since 2020.
Don’t forget the new Prime Minister wants to create yet another layer of bureaucracy vis ‘devolution AND bypass the entire planning processes by giving recently elected mayors the power to approve all sorts of building plans without prior planning permission – should result in more capial expense and ugly approvals as there will be no ‘standards’ at the local or national level!
Here are some’ fun facts about the UK civil service since 2020 (data from Brave AI)
Numbers:
Headcount Trends by Year
- 2020: 456,410 (March 2020)
- 2021: 465,000 (June 2021)
- 2022: 479,000 (June 2022)
- 2023: 489,000 (June 2023)
- 2024: 542,840 (March 2024) / 548,000 (December 2024)
- 2025: 549,660 (March 2025) / 554,000 (September 2025)
- 2026: 523,635 FTE (March 2026)
The workforce grew by 56,000 between March 2020 and March 2022, largely due to pandemic-related initiatives like the furlough scheme and vaccination rollout. By March 2026, the full-time equivalent (FTE) count stood at 523,635, representing a 1.39% increase over the previous 12 months.
An Increase of 67,225
Salaries
The median salary of UK civil servants has risen steadily from £28,180 in 2020 to £35,680 in 2025.
- 2020: The median salary was £28,180, an increase of £1,100 (4.1%) from the previous year.
- 2024: The median salary increased to £33,980.
- 2025: The median salary rose further to £35,680, representing a £1,700 (5.0%) increase from 2024.
- The median salary for a UK Civil Servant in 2026 is £37,820, a 6.0% increase from £35,680 in 2025. A little under
This growth reflects pay adjustments following periods of public sector pay caps and inflationary pressures, with the 2025 figure including pay-related allowances but excluding bonuses.
This means the salary bill has increased by just under £7 billion from just under £13 billion a year in 2020 to£19.8 billion in 2026.
This excludes ‘bonuses and any equivalent cost for extra holidays , sick leave and pension benefits.
Some of the benefits are pretty wild and a slap in the face for those people suffering under the increases in energy bills resulting from increases in the energy ‘price cap’ (another tax) resulting from insane ‘net zero policies.
“Recent reports indicate that HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) civil servants designated as contractual home workers received over £610,000 in total subsidies to help cover heating bills between 2022 and April 2026, with the amount paid in the 2026 financial year alone rising to £211,000.
- These payments are specifically for the 7% of HMRC staff (5,259 employees) whose designated workplace is their home, excluding those on hybrid arrangements.
- Critics, including opposition politicians and taxpayer advocacy groups, have condemned the payments as a “grotesque waste of taxpayer money,” particularly amid broader energy cost pressures.
- The government stated that these allowances are intended to offset increased utility costs for remote workers, a practice recommended by the FDA union for all civil servants working remotely.
How many other designated contractual home workers are there in the civil service?
“Recent reports indicate that at least 4,000 UK civil servants are designated as contractual home workers who never have to visit an office. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has the largest number, with 2,413 staff on permanent work-from-home contracts. Other significant departments include the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with 688 staff and the Department for Education with 492 staff.
Specific figures for other major departments include:
- HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC): 5,259 staff (7% of its workforce).
- Office for National Statistics (ONS): 872 employees as of August 2022.
- Department for Business and Trade: 207 staff.
- Department for Health and Social Care: 95 staff.
The UK Home Civil Service employs approximately 549,660 people in total. While government guidance states that civil servants are expected to be in the office a minimum of 60% of the time, contractual home working is typically reserved for exceptional circumstances, reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act, or specific roles where remote work is an essential requirement.
“Most UK civil servants receive 25 days of paid annual leave upon joining, which increases by one day per year of service up to a maximum of 30 days after five years. In addition to this, employees are typically entitled to 8 public and privilege holidays per year, such as the King’s birthday.
Sick pay:
Occupational Sick Pay: Many senior civil servants and those at HMRC may receive contractual sick pay (e.g., up to 5 months full pay and 5 months half pay depending on service length), but this is distinct from the number of days allowed.
“Average Absence: Recent data (2025) shows civil servants average approximately 8.1 to 9.1 days lost to sickness per year, with long-term absence driving up these figures.
Nice work if you can get it!
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(UKR)