Young doctors crippling the NHS with a 96-hour strike are demanding up to £10,000 in taxpayer-funded ‘life administration’ fees to help them move or commute during training, figures show
- More than £40 million claimed by junior doctors over five years in relocation costs
- Supports those who have moved or commute with an allowance of up to £10,000
Striking junior doctors are claiming up to £10,000 in taxpayer-funded ‘life-admin’ allowances, figures show.
Over the past five years, more than £40 million has been claimed by junior doctors in moving costs, which are exempt from income tax.
The fund supports trainee doctors who need to move or commute during training, with the grant increasing from £8,000 to £10,000 in 2020 following consultation between the British Medical Association and stakeholders.
Data obtained by the Daily Telegraph shows the amount claimed increased by more than a quarter in 2021/22 compared to the previous year – £9.98m compared to £7.86m.
Nearly £8 million has been claimed in 2022/23 to February.
More than £40 million has been claimed by junior doctors in moving costs, which are exempt from income tax, over the past five years (pictured: junior doctors taking part in a rally in London’s Trafalgar Square during a nationwide strike on April 11)
Physicians in training qualify if they have to move 30 miles from home or commute more than an hour to work.
Successful applicants can claim costs through their NHS trust, which will then charge Health Education England, the health service’s human resources department.
Trusts can cover interns for brokerage and attorney fees, stamp duty, and temporary housing.
Other incidental costs, such as nursery registration and rental of storage space, can also be covered.
John O’Connell, CEO of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: ‘Patients are tired of complaining about funding for a health service that is already receiving a record amount of cash.
With physicians able to bill taxpayers for life administration and other benefits, households will rightly recognize that a physician’s salary is only part of the package.
“Ministers should ensure that when discussing rewards they look at the negotiations in the round.”
But Dr. Vivek Trivedi, co-chair of the BMA’s committee on junior doctors, said: “It is misleading to suggest that junior doctors derive financial gain from this policy.”