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Health bill ‘a waste’
WESTMINSTER Council is shelling out more than £200,000 a year on private health insurance for its senior managers.
Last year’s bill came to £231,000 and has been branded a “waste of money” by opposition leaders in Westminster City Hall.
Only 100 positions, including directors and senior managers, come with cover from insurers BCWA Health Insurance – a sweetener to make the the authority a competitive employer according to the council.
The annual cost of insurance per employee depends on the specific scheme, starting at £995.15 for a single person, and rising up to £2,344 for a family plan.
Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg said: “Why are council tax payers forking out nearly a quarter of a million pounds a year on private health insurance for 100 senior managers at a time when money is tight and hundreds of council staff are losing their jobs because of the Conservatives’ financial incompetence?”
Cllr Melvyn Caplan, cabinet member for finance, said: “The fact remains that if you want to employ the best then you have to be prepared to pay competitive salaries as well as offer competitive benefits.” |
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