NatWest increases bonus pool by 44% as bank returns to profit

Despite £298m pool figure, CEO says group is mindful of inflation and cost of living challenges facing customers

NatWest is giving its bankers bigger bonuses this year after the group, still majority-owned by taxpayers, bounced back to a £4bn profit in 2021 as the economy recovered from the coronavirus pandemic.

The lender said it had increased its bonus pool to £298m, a 44% increase on a year earlier.