There are 70 people claiming public sector pensions which are in excess of £50,000 a year.

The figure was revealed by Treasury Minister Alfred Cannan MHK in the House of Keys.

Mr Cannan had been responding to a question from Jason Moorhouse (Arbory, Castletown and Malew) who asked if large payments to a small number of people had a disproportionate impact on the island’s pensions.

He said that there are ’6,500 public sector pensions in payment’.

This breaks down as: 4,019 people receiving a pension of under £10,000 per year; 1,566 receiving between £10,000 and £20,000; 652 receiving between £20,000 and £30,000; 160 people receiving between £30,000 and £40,000; 69 people receiving between £40,000 and £50,000; and 70 people receiving a pension of over £50,000.

Mr Moorhouse also asked Mr Cannan ’whether there is a maximum amount payable for a public sector pension; and what is the value of the largest pension payable in the last five years?’

Mr Cannan said that public sector pensions are managed by the Public Sector Pensions Authority (PSPA). He stated that under the 2011 unified scheme, the majority of members cannot receive more than 75% of final pensionable pay. However, the amount is determined by which scheme an individual is a member of.

’For firefighters, who are also members of the unified scheme, the amount is 66.9% of the member’s final pensionable pay amount,’ he explained.

For police under the 19991 regulations, the amount is 66.6% whereas the 2010 regulations make this 50. Members of the judicial scheme of 2004 can receive a maximum of 50%. teachers who joined before January 1 2007 can receive a maximum of 56.25%, those who joined after, 66.6%.

Mr Cannan added: ’I do not believe it would be appropriate to single out the highest amount of pension paid to an individual, as it could lead to the individual being easily identified or cause unnecessary speculation.’