BBC spent £130,000 on counselling for stressed staff last year The figure also includes money spent on giving advice to staff experiencing problems with debt, immigration, family issues, consumer rights, relationships and 'life events'. Stress-related absences soared in 2012, the BBC said in a Freedom of Information request, with staff on middle incomes taking the most days off for the problem. Those who earned between £35,000 and £53,000 took 1,540 days off between them, while those on a lower pay grade of between £19,000 and £27,000 a year recorded a total of just 20 absences for stress-related illness. Those at the top of the BBC took off 109 days. In total, the number of absences for stress, anxiety and depression increased from 5,643 absences in the 2010-11 financial year to 7,399 in 2011-12 - a jump of 30 per cent. The Employee Assistant Programme cost the BBC £130,485 last year, according to a FOI request by LondonlovesBusiness.com. The programme provides information, resources and counselling for "work, family and personal issues." The figures were compiled before the Jimmy Savile scandal - described as the worst crisis in the history of the BBC- hit the corporation. A BBC spokesman said: "As a responsible employer the BBC takes the welfare of its staff extremely seriously. The costs provided relate to an annual fee for the BBC's Employee Assistance Programme which provides free, independent and confidential information, resources and counselling on a wide range of work, family and personal issues. Counselling for work related stress issues accounts for a small proportion of the total fee. This service can be used by all BBC staff.