Violent teenage criminals serving time behind bars are being handed hundreds of pounds a year of public money for birthday gifts and Christmas presents.
Even youths found guilty of sexual assaults and other serious crimes get weekly pocket money plus extra cash to buy clothes, a Mail on Sunday investigation has found.
The cash is given by councils to all children in their care but it is still being paid to those youngsters who end up in custody.
Victim: Angela Wrightson, left, was killed by two girls in December 2014, one of whom drew this crude picture of a stabbing
Some also have £5 paid into a savings account every week, giving them a nest egg to spend when they are freed. Last night Tory MP Philip Hollobone said: ‘There are lots of well-behaved young people who would love to receive a birthday or Christmas present paid for by the Government – I don’t see why criminals should be receiving that kind of money.’
Notorious cases of children in care who committed horrific crimes include two girls, aged 13 and 14, who tortured and battered vulnerable Angela Wrightson, 39, to death while posing for selfies. One of the so-called Snapchat Killers was found to have drawn a picture depicting a stabbing a week earlier.
The girls were in the care of Hartlepool Council at the time of the 2014 murder, and both received life sentences last year. The council said payments and gifts for children in custody were ‘discretionary’ but would not comment on individual cases.
They tortured and battered vulnerable Angela Wrightson, 39, to death while posing for selfies
In total, 989 criminals aged 18 or under were in youth custody in September, housed in Young Offender Institutions (YOIs), secure children’s homes and secure training centres. A large proportion of them have been through the care system at some point – either being placed with foster families or living in children’s homes.
Department for Education figures show that, as of March 31 this year, 250 children from local authority care were in a YOI or prison, with a further 170 in secure units. Today it can be revealed that most retain their entitlement to state-funded allowances despite their crimes.
By contrast, jailed adults have all benefits stopped.
Under-16s in Hertfordshire’s care receive a £261.14 ‘initial clothing allowance’, according to a document obtained by this newspaper, and a further £16 weekly clothing allowance plus a one-off £35 for suitcases and bags. All children also get a savings allowance of £5 per week, placed in a Junior ISA until they turn 18.
Child criminals looked after by West Sussex Council receive a £251 birthday allowance while those from Derby get £216 on birthdays and the same at Christmas. Bath and North East Somerset Council gives a £300 annual clothing allowance to its looked-after children, including those in custody, while Ealing gives them £360 a year to cover all expenses.
Flowers left outside the Stephen Street home of murder victim Angela Wrightson
Most town halls provide pocket money, ranging from £10 to £20 a week. Camden said it had ‘a duty’ to support its children in custody and this will include providing an allowance to cover the costs of sundries such as snacks and magazines. A handful of councils, however, said they did not give their children anything if they were locked up.
Any youths not in council care who are locked up rely on family to send them money, or earn it themselves while behind bars.
A Whitehall source said: ‘The Ministry of Justice has no role in deciding the allowance provided to young people in custody and staff do not make decisions as to who receives an allowance.’