'Golden goodbyes' for civil servants and staff at taxpayer-funded public bodies double to more than £300million after Whitehall headcounts soared by third, audit finds

'Golden goodbyes' for civil servants and staff at taxpayer-funded Whitehall agencies have doubled under Labour to more than £300million, it emerged today.An audit of Government accounts by the Mail found 6,000 former staff got exit packages worth £336million last year (2025-26).It rocketed from £153million for 3,353 employees at Government departments and public bodies such as quangos the year before (2024-25).One bumper payout for a senior bureaucrat from the environment Department was for between £300,000 and £350,000.Hundreds more pocketed exit packages worth £100,000 or more, with 25 banking 'golden goodbyes' over £200,000.Meanwhile, separate analysis found headcounts at Whitehall departments and linked agencies surged at three times the rate of the rest of the public sector, with personnel growing by a third over a decade.Headcount soared by 33.3 per cent – some 139,485 roles – between 2016 and 2026, the analysis found. Former Cabinet Secretary Sir Chris Wormald was handed a record 'golden goodbye' package in the region of £500,000 last financial year (2025/26), it emerged this month Tory MP Greg Smith said the payouts unceovered by the Mail were a 'slap in the face' to hard-pressed taxpayers as the tax burden reaches its highest for decades The energy Department and public bodies linked to it paid out the most in exit packages last year, the Mail audit found This compares with 9.4 per cent growth across the rest of the public sector, meaning the Whitehall workforce now totals around 557,825.This was up from 418,340 in 2016, sending the annual civil service wage bill soaring to around £22.5billion – an inflation-busting rise of 6.5 per cent compared to the year before.The scale of 'golden goodbye' payouts, uncovered by a Mail audit of Whitehall accounts, comes after fury was sparked this month after it emerged former head of the civil service, Sir Chris Wormald, was handed a record severance package in the region of £500,000.He had served just 14 months in his role as the Cabinet Secretary after effectively being sacked by former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in February.The severance payments collectively dwarf those of a decade or so ago, when more than £250million a year was often spent on exit packages.Whitehall sources today said the packages were part of a drive to slash civil service headcounts after £300million was earmarked for cutting roles in last year's Spring Statement.But critics said many of the payouts appeared excessive and were a 'slap in the face' for hard-pressed families as it comes at a time when the tax burden is at its highest for nearly 80 years.Tory MP Greg Smith said: 'It's as if those signing off these bumper payouts have forgotten where the money comes from in the first place: taxpayers.'So, while real people are struggling to pay their ballooning taxes, struggling at the supermarket check-out and the fuel pumps, it is a gargantuan slap in the face to watch civil servants handed massive chunks of cash most could never dream of.'William Yarwood, of the TaxPayers' Alliance, added: 'Cutting bureaucracy is welcome, but handing out hundreds of millions in bumper exit packages suggests the gravy train is still running full steam ahead.'Ministers must cap these payouts and strictly control them in the future.'The energy Department and public bodies linked to it paid out the most in exit packages last year.More than £74million was paid out to 880 former staff, with three packages worth over £200,000 and 33 worth £100,000 or more.This was followed by the culture and media Department, which shelled out £46million to 749 former staff, mostly to BBC employees and officials at other linked agencies.Two were worth £200,000 or more while 190 were worth £100,000 or more.Meanwhile, the transport Department awarded £44.5million-worth of exit packages to 1,043 people.The Foreign Office awarded the most packages worth £200,000 or more – 11. Overall, 20 were for £100,000 or more.The environment Department said the package for between £300,000 and £350,000 was for Dame Tamara Finkelstein, who was Permanent Secretary at the department from 2019 to June 2025.The data related to 14 Whitehall departments and agencies linked to them which have so far published their latest accounts for last year, meaning the true overall figures are likely higher than £336million as there are nearly two-dozen ministerial departments.Sir Chris's bumper package was not reflected in the analysis as the Cabinet Office is yet to publish its latest accounts.The separate analysis by the TPA of civil service headcounts, which also included linked agencies, found the number of officials on salaries of at least £100,000 increased by 268 per cent between 2016 and 2026, from 1,090 to 4,015. This increased by 510 last year alone.A Government spokesman said: 'We're bringing the number of back office civil servants down and targeting money on the front line, where it is most needed.'This costs money up front but will save the taxpayer in the long term.'