Boris Johnson is not entitled to a ‘£115,000 pension’ as a former Prime Minister

A number of claims about what Boris Johnson might be entitled to financially as a former Prime Minister have been circulating on social media. 

The claims have emerged in the wake of his resignation as an MP on 9 June and the subsequent publication of the Privileges Committee report which found he deliberately misled Parliament over what he knew about gatherings in Downing Street in breach of Covid-19 regulations.

One post claims he is set to receive a “£115,000 a year pension”, while another states he will have a “£115,000 pension for life”.

It is true that all former prime ministers are entitled to claim up to £115,000 a year for expenses they incur while fulfilling public duties associated with being a former prime minister, through a scheme called the Public Duty Costs Allowance (PDCA).

But it is not correct to describe this as a “pension”.

We’ve written before about misleading claims about what former prime ministers and ministers are entitled to receive after leaving their roles. False or misleading claims about politicians have the potential to affect people’s opinions of individuals, parties or how they choose to vote.

What is the PDCA?

The PDCA was set up after former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher left office, and is intended “to assist former Prime Ministers still active in public life”. All former prime ministers are entitled to claim it.

PDCA guidance says: “Payments are made only to meet the actual cost of continuing to fulfil public duties.

“The costs are a reimbursement of incurred expenses for necessary office costs and secretarial costs arising from their special position in public life. The allowance is not paid to support private or parliamentary duties. The PDCA is in addition to any constituency office which they may maintain as a Member of Parliament.”

Accounts published annually show that most former prime ministers claim the full amount, or close to it.

In 2021/22, Sir John Major and Sir Tony Blair both claimed the full amount, with Gordon Brown claiming only slightly less, at £114,655. David Cameron claimed around £107,000, while Theresa May claimed about £80,000 (the 2021/22 financial year ended before Mr Johnson’s resignation as Prime Minister).

We don’t yet know how much Mr Johnson and his successor, Liz Truss, have claimed through the PDCA, as the annual report for 2022/23 is still to be published.

As we’ve explained previously, it’s not entirely clear from the guidance what kind of public duties, and what kind of costs, are reimbursed with the PDCA.

In answer to a parliamentary question in 2021, Julia Lopez, then parliamentary secretary at the Cabinet Office, said: “The costs are a reimbursement of incurred expenses for necessary office and secretarial costs.

“These costs can include diary support, Met Police protection on public visits, correspondence, staffing at public visits, support to charitable work, social media platforms and managing and maintaining ex-PMs office (staff, payroll, admin).”

But when Full Fact asked the Cabinet Office last year about reports that former prime ministers continue to receive security after leaving office, it told us that protection is a separate issue from the PDCA, and is provided by the Metropolitan Police according to the level of risk.

Former prime ministers can also claim an additional amount to contribute towards their staff pension costs, limited to a maximum of 10% of the PDCA.

What pension can former prime ministers draw?

It’s certainly not true that former prime ministers are entitled to a pension worth £115,000 a year on leaving office. Since 2015 there has been no special pension for prime ministers. 

Instead, like other ministers, they are now automatically enrolled in the Ministerial Pension Scheme when they are appointed to the job. This is in addition to the MPs’ Pension Scheme which MPs are enrolled in when elected to the House of Commons.

Both schemes provide a pension when someone retires altogether, not when they stop being a minister or an MP. It is possible to opt out of them, or to make additional payments above the standard amount.

We’ve written a more in depth fact check of the payouts available to prime ministers and other ministers after leaving office, which you can read here.

Image courtesy of Prime Minister’s Office