PRIVATE medical insurance funded by the taxpayer is not offered to staff at Epping Forest District Council – in stark contrast to the position at Essex County Council.
The Gazette has learned that workers at the civic offices in Epping are not entitled to receive medical cover paid for by your taxes.
As previously reported in this newspaper, the county council forked out £878,120 between April 2009 and April 2012 to provide medical cover for up to 331 employees.
Epping Forest District Council staff are permitted to join a private medical insurance scheme should they choose, although they must fund it.
The information emerged following a Freedom of Information request to the authority.
A statement accompanying the reply read: "The council makes no contribution towards this [medical insurance] and the council holds no record of which employees have arranged their own private medical health insurance."
Pressure group The TaxPayers' Alliance welcomed the district council's stance on medical insurance.
Its political director Jonathan Isaby said: "Council tax-payers in Epping Forest will be relieved to learn that the district council does not spend a penny of their cash on private health insurance for employees.
"That kind of spending is unaffordable and completely unjustifiable, especially at a time when budgets are tight and difficult decisions are being made about how to spend resources."
Ongar MP Eric Pickles, who is also the local government secretary, welcomed the news.
He said: "Congratulations to Epping Forest for costing residents nothing. It is a very good authority that has been well run over a number of years."
