Liz Truss can claim £115,000 every year from taxpayer despite serving for just six weeks

Truss survived just 45 days in No 10, consigning herself to the history books as the country’s shortest serving prime minister

Liz Truss will be able to claim up to £115,000 from the taxpayer per annum despite having the shortest tenure of any British prime minister in history.

The outgoing Conservative leader can claim the money from the Public Duty Costs Allowance (PDCA), which was introduced to assist former prime ministers still active in public life. According to government guidance, payments are made only “to meet the actual cost of continuing to fulfil public duties.”

The allowance was arranged in the wake of the resignation of Margaret Thatcher in 1990, and announced by her predecessor, John Major, in March the following year.