Most of Greggs’ £300 Worker Bonus Could Go to Government Thanks to Universal Credit

Your regular reminder that the man behind Universal Credit has a knighthood

Greggs announced it would pay each of its 25,000 workers a bonus of up to £300, on the back of a remarkably strong year largely driven by notable hot item, the vegan sausage roll. Its workers on Universal Credit — a benefits system that has been cut and cut until many claimants are worse-off than on its previous incarnation — may only see £75, £97, or £111, depending on their income threshold, with the government claiming back bonus earnings at 63p in the pound, according to the Guardian.

This is because of a “taper rate” of 63 percent, which reclaims any earnings that go above a given work allowance, meaning that it is government policy that will leave workers worse off, and not Greggs’ desire to reward them for their contribution to the company’s success. [Guardian]

And in other news...

• A special occasion dish or the worst of dining pomp? Either way, here’s the best beef wellington in London.
• Longstanding Broadway Market pie and mash shop F. Cooke closes in east London after 120 years.
• Tom Aikens’ new restaurant Muse opens today, so people will finally understand what his utterly indecipherable menu means — unless this a “keep the secrets” Harry Potter and the Cursed Child situation.
• It’s happened: a new company dedicated to “curating” restaurant residencies is here. It’s called ... Residency. [Big Hospitality]
• Fresh from sexist commentary on women in kitchens, criticism over the underpayment of staff at his-but-not-his Melbourne restaurant, the departure of his most trusted chef, and a hagiographic 8,000 word profile that address none of those things, Heston Blumenthal is ... Having a pop at Instagram. [Guardian]
• Good tweet: