Institute for Government’s Whitehall Monitor 2024 report lays bare the state of pay in the Civil Service

The Institute for Government has published its Whitehall Monitor 2024 and it has some stark warnings on pay.

Key findings in the report include:

• Civil Service size is continuing to grow driven by frontline roles like prison officers and asylum caseworkers
• Public servants have faced pay cuts of 12-26% since 2010
• Morale has fallen for two years in a row
• There are high levels of staff turnover
• Policy-making processes should be more open, long-term and reflective
• We need the biggest reform of Whitehall in decades

Mike Clancy, General Secretary of Prospect, responded: to the Institute for Government’s Whitehall Monitor 2024, said:

“This report lays bare the state of pay in the Civil Service, with public servants having seen their incomes slashed by up to 26% since 2010.

“Attacks from ministers, combined with this pay degradation, have sent experienced and expert civil servants heading for the doors, with morale crashing over the past two years.

“Whether the next government is tasked with delivering Keir Starmer’s missions or Rishi Sunak’s long-term decisions, fundamental reform is needed to build a Civil Service ready to meet the generational challenges our country is facing.

“To attract and retain highly skilled technical experts in fields including AI and health, the Civil Service must be an employer that offers competitive pay and can attract talent from the private sector.”