Secret gifts from public swell Treasury's coffers

Image source, AFP

  • Author, Matt Chorley
  • Role, Presenter, 麻豆官网首页入口 Radio 5 Live

As Keir Starmer struggles to balance the government's books - and his staff pay bill - help is at hand: people making voluntary donations to the nation鈥檚 coffers.

Already this year, 18 people have handed over almost 拢620,000 without the taxman even asking for it, according to figures obtained by the 麻豆官网首页入口 in a freedom of information request.

In the past two decades a total of 153 donations have been made to the Treasury, including 27 people who left money to the chancellor in their will.

It has bolstered the national accounts by 拢4,729,091.92 since 2003, equivalent to 0.00004% of total government spending this year.

Members of the public can make a direct bank transfer to HM Treasury to go towards public expenditure.

The Treasury stresses that 鈥済ifts cannot be ring-fenced for a specific purpose or assigned to a specific area of public spending鈥.

Money cannot be refunded once it is donated, and donors must confirm that the money is theirs and 鈥渘ot the proceeds of crime, money laundering or other illegal activity鈥.

In 2024, up to 4 September, there were 18 donations worth a total of 拢619,265.33, the highest annual total since 2020, when 拢1,193,875.76 was given, perhaps to support the government response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The second highest year was in 2010, when two people made donations and another five left money in their wills, worth a total of 拢972,621.71.

This was at a time when the incoming coalition government focused on cutting public spending to bring down the deficit.

By contrast, nothing was given in 2014 or 2015, while in 2005 just 拢5 was donated.

In 2013 it emerged that Joan Edwards, a retired midwife from Bristol, had left a 拢520,000 bequest to "whichever government is in office at the date of my death for the government in their absolute discretion to use as they may think fit".

However her solicitors at the time interpreted this as a political donation, and split the money 80:20 between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, who were both in government at the time.

There was a backlash after the details were published by the Electoral Commission, and the Liberal Democrats handed their 拢100,000 to the Treasury, and the Conservatives soon after did the same with their 拢420,000.