Senior town hall staff who acted as counting officers during the alternative vote (AV) referendum are set to receive an unexpected financial boost, after Whitehall officials belatedly decided the payments involved should count as pensionable pay.

But the move has been greeted with dismay by trade unions, who accused communities secretary, Eric Pickles, of ‘feathering the nests' of senior council officials poised to leave local government – just as chancellor, George Osborne, was considering imposing higher pension contributions on all public sector staff.