Jan 2012 23

New Research: Child Support Agency Credit Card Spending8

As part of our campaign for better transparency and accountability in Quango spending, the TaxPayers’ Alliance can reveal the three and a half million pounds the Child Support Agency has spent on its taxpayer-funded credit cards over the last two years.

As reported in this weekend’s Sunday Express, this spending includes luxury hotels, fine dining and spending at retail outlets such as Apple and Amazon.

Click here for the full breakdown of spending data

The key findings include:

  • A total of £3,658,533 spent on taxpayer-funded credit cards in the past two years
  • Over £52,000 spent on Google in one year alone
  • Nearly £10,000 spent on luxury serviced apartments
  • £4,755 spent at Malmaison
  • More than £17,000 spent at sandwich shops
  • In one purchase £400 was spent at Chocca Mocca who produce “an exciting portfolio of sumptuous fruits and nuts smothered in top-notch chocolate”
  • £2,700 spent at Amazon, £388 spent at the Apple Store and dinner at the exclusive Cinnamon Club

Click here for the full breakdown of spending data

Matthew Sinclair, Director of the TaxPayers’ Alliance said:

“When so many parents have been failed by the longstanding failures of the Child Support Agency, taxpayers will be outraged that bosses at the organisation appear to have been enjoying fine dining and luxury hotels at taxpayers’ expense. Government procurement cards are an important tool to make expenses more efficient, but spending needs to be published so that quangos can be held to account for this kind of spending.  At a time when there is so much pressure on everyone’s finances, there is no excuse for lavish expenses.”

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  • Blarg1987

    Interesting article, although it is interesting to note that the reduction in spending for the last tax year then the previous year which should be applauded as a step in the right direction and be interesting to see how this taxs year will look.

  • Blarg1987

    Interesting article, although it is interesting to note that the reduction in spending for the last tax year then the previous year which should be applauded as a step in the right direction and be interesting to see how this taxs year will look.

  • http://twitter.com/marvthepower paul taylor

    You need to have a long hard look at the sham that is OFSTED. I personally know of one of my relatives who’s has a whole frikkin extension built onto their house at the cost to the tax payer Via OFSTED & not to mention the shopping trips out GRrrrrrrrr

    • Blarg1987

      How could they have an extension built by OFSTED if you mean they worked for OFSTED and used their salary to build an extension then why is that bad?

  • Skp

    Oh dear – not good analysis from the TPA. Check the data. The chocca mocca sum was not one transaction for a start. Taking a quote from their website is pretty lame. It would be like buying a sandwich from Fortnum and Mason and then using a quote describing a deluxe hamper. £17,000 spent on sandwich shops – sounds bad. How outrageous to spend 45p per employee per year on catering. No private sector company would ever dream of such extravagance. Luxury serviced apartments? Unbelievable. Check the transaction list and you find that this seems to cost less than £100 per night and the total cost equates to 50p per employee per year. £2,700 at Amazon – surely Civil Servants don’t need books

  • ICA

    These rants about credit cards only damages the reputation of the TPA; if an item is cheaper to purchase using a credit card then – as a taxpayer – I am all in favour. The TPA should concentrate on waste not process!

  • George Powell

    Re local government pensions. early retirement on ill health is popular because it is financially beneficial, free contributory years, early lump sum and pension and another job.
    Nobody should receive free contributory years. Only those who can never work again should get early retirement and without free contributory years, they will receive some state benefits. Others who go should have their pension rights frozen until normal retirement age.  All those going on redundancy should not get free contributory years.

  • Fannechapman

    the Chilld Support Agency spent thousands on paintings and other unnecessary purchases when it was first set up so it is no surprise to me it is still spending.