UK diplomats in six locations around the world, including Buenos Aires and Santiago in South America, will no longer receive hardship payments for working in dangerous or high‑risk cities.
Hardship allowances are typically granted for posts considered risky such as Beirut, Pretoria, or cities with high air pollution like New Delhi and Beijing. The new list removes Santiago, Panama City, Pyongyang, Bamako, Sarajevo and adds the two South American capitals, while still retaining 144 locations across the globe that include popular holiday destinations.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has defended the system as a duty of care for staff, noting it has been in use for 30 years. The allowance was originally designed to compensate for security measures, climate, natural disaster and isolation challenges, and was reviewed regularly. The last published breakdown in 2009 estimated the highest payments at Karachi (£26,647) and Abuja (£14,804). Buenos Aires and Santiago had £1,517 and £777 respectively for couples.
Conservative leader Kevin Hollinrake criticised the removal as unfair, arguing that taxpayers were funding trips to places like Bali, Cape Town and the Maldives. He pledged to cut civil service size if the Conservatives returned to power. The FCDO responded that the scheme is akin to private sector job provisions, ensuring staff are supported for the physical and political difficulties they face overseas.
The policy decision, announced in a press statement earlier this week, comes amid ongoing discussions about civil service spending and the need for a "duty of care" towards ambassadors and their families in challenging locations.
