The bank is 83% owned by taxpayers.

The comparisons with social care spending, which faces heavy cuts along with much of the so-called "bloated" public sector, are interesting.

The amount RBS paid in bonuses last year amounts to 5.6% of the total adult social care budget for England in 2009-10.

It is the equivalent of 27.9% of the total amount spent on residential care for older people in England last year.

Based on average costs, £950m could have paid for a year's residential, nursing or intensive home care for almost 30,000 people.

And if one averages the remuneration for a foster carer at £30,000 a year, that could have provided an extra 30,000 foster carers.

Feeling sick yet? It doesn't seem to be bothering the government too much. But don't worry about it - we're all in this together.

(Pics, left to right: West Coast Surfer/Mood Board/Rex Features, Sinoplx/Rex Features, Frederick Sierakowski/Rex Features, Onne van der Wal/bluegreenpictures.com/Rex Features, )

Read the complete post at http://www.communitycare.co.uk/blogs/mental-health/2011/02/bankers-bonuses-and-social-car.html