Civil Servants Rack Up Thousands in Expenses for London Commutes
Senior civil servants have been claiming thousands of pounds in taxpayer-funded expenses to commute to work in London, with spending covering overnight stays and dinners. This comes despite a government initiative to relocate 23,000 civil service jobs outside the capital in an effort to reduce costs.
Expense Claims Reveal High Spending on London Trips
Newly uncovered data highlights significant expense claims by officials. One senior officer at the Department for Transport claimed £7,019.58 for nine trips to a London office, including costs for food and accommodation, averaging £779.95 per trip. Another official was reimbursed £7,270.98 for 10 trips to the Department of Health and Social Care in London, equivalent to £927.09 per trip. A third made 31 trips to the Department of Transport within three months, accumulating a bill of £3,485.50.
Overall, published government figures show that from October to December 2025, officials claimed a total of £139,719.97 in travel expenses, food, and accommodation for overnight stays. If this rate continues over a year, it would amount to more than £550,000.
Government Relocation Plan and Criticisms
Under the Government's Plan for Growth scheme, thousands of civil service jobs have been moved out of London, meaning 34 percent of senior officials no longer work in the capital daily. To cut costs, three central London offices with high rental expenses have closed, with satellite offices opening in less expensive regions such as Manchester and Aberdeen.
However, many senior civil servants relocated outside London have been required to travel back to the capital for meetings. Critics argue this spending is a 'slap in the face' to taxpayers who pay for their own commutes, questioning why these meetings cannot be held online.
Danny Kruger, Reform UK's head of preparing for government department, stated: 'This is a slap in the face to every hard-working taxpayer forced to commute at their own expense just to pay for privileged civil servants with gold-plated pensions. This is the rotten culture of entitlement and wasteful spending that has been allowed to fester unchecked in our Civil Service.'
Policy and Political Reactions
According to the Civil Service Management Code, civil servants are not permitted to claim expenses for day-to-day commuting, but costs can be reimbursed if 'actually and necessarily incurred in the course of official business.' Alex Burghart MP, Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, told the Telegraph: 'This is exactly the kind of absurdity that erodes public trust in Government.'
John O'Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, called for a ban on such claims, urging ministers to 'put a stop to all expense claims for travel, accommodation and any other for coming to the office.'
Departmental Spending Breakdown
The highest spending was recorded by the Ministry of Justice at £42,498.98, followed by the Cabinet Office at £16,841.81 and the Department for Health and Social Care at £12,736.80.
A Government spokesman defended the expenses, stating: 'Officials cannot claim travel expenses for commuting to their office - only for official travel to other locations. The cost of official travel is tiny to the £94million we are saving by closing 11 London office buildings. A third of senior civil servants are now based in government offices outside of London, in the communities they serve. These expenses reflect routine travel for them to deliver their roles and responsibilities.'
