NHS £500 bonus: when will healthcare staff in Scotland receive the Christmas payment, and who is eligible?

Nicola Sturgeon has vowed to pay every NHS and social care worker in Scotland a one-off £500 payment from the Scottish Government.

The pay-out will serve as a “thank you” to staff for their work during the coronavirus pandemic.

The First Minister announced the payment, alongside a £100 payment for poor and vulnerable families during the SNP conference.

Ms Sturgeon stated: "Initiatives like this are not just about providing practical help to those who need it most - they are an expression of our values and of the kind of country we are seeking to build."

What did Nicola Sturgeon say?

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced the move during her address to the SNP conference.

She said applause and recognition shown to frontline workers earlier in the pandemic “was never enough”.

Negotiations are currently under way to increase pay for NHS staff, but they “deserve recognition now”, Ms Sturgeon said.

The First Minister added there were “no strings attached” to the payment.

However, the First Minister said the Scottish Government did not have the power to make the payment tax-free and she called on Boris Johnson to ensure “NHS heroes” are not taxed on their payment.

Who will receive the payment?

The payment will be given to every full-time NHS and adult social care worker.

It is expected that the bonus will be paid out to over 300,000 doctors, nurses, porters, care home and hospice staff. Students who volunteered during lockdown, GP surgery staff and palliative care workers will also be covered by the bonus.

The estimated cost of the “thank you” will be £180m.

The Westminster Government and other devolved ministries have not indicated whether a similar bonus will be paid out to staff based in the rest of the UK.

The Scottish Government published a full list of employees who will be eligible for the bonus:

Will the bonus be taxed?

Ms Sturgeon indicated that the Scottish Government did not have the power to make the bonus tax-free.

Addressing the SNP conference, Ms Sturgeon said: “We are asking nothing of the UK government – with this one exception. Please allow our health and care heroes to keep every penny of Scotland’s thank-you to them. Do not take any of it away in tax.”

The UK Treasury, however, have implied that the SNP-led government in fact do have the power to make the bonus tax free.

In a statement the Treasury said: “The income tax on these payments is paid to Scotland, not Westminster – and the Scottish government has the powers and funding to cover the tax owed on the payment if it wishes.”

When will the bonus be paid out?

The payment will be made before the end of the financial year.