GOVERNMENT workers are getting into thousands of pounds of debt each to pay rent and bills, their union said ahead of a parliamentary debate today.

Members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union told of their financial problems after a PCS-organised petition calling for “a fair pay rise” for government workers was signed by more than 100,000 people, triggering the Westminster Hall debate.

The petition notes that Civil Service pay has fallen in value by up to 20 per cent in the last 10 years, causing increased hardship for workers in government departments, non-departmental public bodies and facilities management staff on outsourced government contracts.  

Ahead of the debate, one PCS member working in HM Courts & Tribunals Service revealed that she had run up £6,000 of credit card debt simply to buy food and pay her bills and rent.

The civil servant, who identified herself only as “Jane,” said: “I use foodbanks one week (sometimes two weeks) a month because if I didn’t, I wouldn’t eat. I live alone and so I am the sole income, despite being disabled and I struggle to cope with every day.”  

Jane added that she is proud to work in the Civil Service, but that she is considering  jobs outside the public sector due to her financial difficulties.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “Civil servants have kept the country going in the pandemic, providing universal credit, delivering the furlough scheme, working at the ports and borders and keeping prisons and courts running.   

“The fact they have faced pay freezes and cuts over the last 10 years is an outrage and should bring shame to any government.   

“All our members want is to be treated fairly and with dignity. We hope ministers will take this debate seriously and pay civil servants properly for the incredible work they do.   

“Failure to do so will mean we will have no choice but to take a stand, up to and including taking industrial action.”  

The Westminster Hall debate discussed two petitions on civil servants and keyworkers’ pay. 

Former shadow chancellor John McDonnell said that there is much “anger” over pay because public sector workers have “kept the country running” over the coronavirus pandemic while having had pay cuts and freezes over the last 10 years.

He warned that there is “another pandemic coming – a pandemic of debt” as at least 18 million people have incurred debt in Britain over the past nine months, which the Joseph Rowntree Foundation said is a “scale of debt never seen before”.