David Cameron received tens of thousands of pounds in ‘public duty’ allowance after quitting Downing Street – as he raked in money from corporate speeches and his memoirs.
The ex-PM claimed just over £50,000 to cover expenses after standing down in July following his defeat in the EU referendum.
The ‘public duty cost allowance’ is granted by the government to ‘assist’ former Prime Ministers in recognition of their ‘special position in public life’.
However, unusually, Nick Clegg, who was Mr Cameron’s deputy until 2015 and lost his seat at the election this year, has been given the benefit.
David Cameron (pictured as he resigned from No 10) received tens of thousands of pounds in ‘public duty’ allowance after quitting Downing Street
A newly retired Mr Cameron is currently working on his memoirs in a lavish ‘Shepherd Hut’ in his back garden (pictured)
He received £114,982 last year, just £18 below the maximum level.
Tony Blair, who has made millions of pounds from consultancy work and speeches since leaving office in 2007, claimed the full £115,000.
Gordon Brown and Sir John Major received £114,838 and £115,000 respectively.
Including pension costs for staff, some £538,067 was claimed by ex-PMs and Mr Clegg in 2016-17. The previous year the figure was £468,109.
The Cabinet Office said: ‘The costs are a reimbursement of incurred expenses for necessary office costs and secretarial costs arising from their special position in public life.’
Mr Cameron is reported to have signed an £800,000 deal with HarperCollins to write his memoirs, pledging to give a ‘frank’ account about his successes and failures at Number 10.
The tome is expected to be published next year. He has been writing in a £25,000 shepherd’s hut the garden of his Cotswolds home.
Tony Blair, who has made millions of pounds from consultancy work and speeches since leaving office in 2007, claimed the full £115,000
In a rare move Nick Clegg, who was Mr Cameron’s deputy until 2015 and lost his seat at the election this year, has also been given the benefit
In between hammering out the book he has been busy delivering lucrative speeches.
Earlier this year, he was paid a staggering £100,000 for a talk to Morgan Stanley Investment Management.
Mr Blair has been receiving a gold-plated non-contributory pension, equivalent to half his salary as premier, since the day he stepped down nearly a decade ago, aged just 53.
The deal is thought to be worth around £80,000 a year.
By contrast Mr Cameron waived the traditional ex-PM pension and will have to wait until he turns 65 to get a ministerial retirement income of around £20,000.
A spokesman for Mr Blair said: ‘The PDCA was arranged following Margaret Thatcher’s resignation and announced by the then Prime Minister, John Major, in March 1991.
‘Tony Blair is treated in the same way as other former PMs in receiving reimbursement for costs associated with his former role.’
Sir John Major, who was kicked out by the electorate in 1997, was given £115,000 in public funds
Labour’s last Prime Minster Gordon Brown (pictured yesterday at the Bank of England) received £114,838 to support his office