King Charles III will hand staff on lower salaries a bonus out of his own pocket to help them to get through the cost of livingcrisis, according to sources.
The new monarch has told hundreds of royal workers that they will be be given up to £600 on top of their pay this month, the Sun reports.
As winter draws in and fears of a recession loom, the one-off sum is expected to go towards covering rising energy bills and mortgage payments.
The staff members who will be receiving the financial boost are said to include cleaners, footmen and servants.
Over the summer, Charles, then Prince of Wales, asked MoneySavingExpert’s Martin Lewis, who he awarded a CBE, for a brief to try to understand how rising energy bills are affecting people.
As part of the Palace’s reported scheme, staff earning less than £30,0000 a year will receive £600, while those on higher wages will get one-off payments ranging from £200 to £400 depending on their income.
Rather than coming from the taxpayer, the bonuses are expected to come from the King’s private income.
Single workers living in accommodation provided by the Royal Household are expected to receive £200 each.
Meanwhile, those on salaries between £30,000 and £40,000 will receive £400 extra.
Figures out recently show that there are 491 full-time staff employed at the occupied royal palaces, which include Buckingham Palace, Balmoral and Windsor Castle
It comes ahead of next weeks budget, in which Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is expected to limit public sector pay rises.
Buckingham Palace has been contacted for comment.
theguardian