Taxpayers in North Somerset will read of their council's decision to shell out nearly £190,000 on a pension payout with a mixture of rage and a weary sense of deja-vu.

So much has been made of the greed of financial fat cats and CEOs in the media of late that news of another gilded pension pot only affirms our sense of anger and frustration.

As the average worker struggles to make ends meet in these dire financial times, those in the higher echelons of business and finance are still seemingly raking in the profits.

North Somerset Council argues that the costs of this £190,000 golden handshake will be recouped with their own departmental restructure, but that promise should be treated with caution by rate-payers, many of whom are looking for an immediate release of pressure from their hefty financial burdens.

Many people are struggling now and the council may need funds immediately, not months or years down the line.

Rather than lining the pockets of its own employees, the council should be looking to ways of making the daily cost of living cheaper for its residents.

Taxpayers will bear the inevitable yearly hike in council tax with more grace if they can see evidence of what has been done to improve their quality of life, be it advice on weathering the recession or a boost in the quality of council services.

With bank bosses and MPs coming under enormous scrutiny for their payouts and expenses claims, the public does not react with favour to news of further examples.

We trust our local authorities to do the right thing and to deliver the best service possible. The employee receiving this golden handshake may have done sterling work for the council.

But when most of us are struggling to get by news of gold-plated pensions for senior council officials and public servants are difficult to swallow.