British Foreign Office civil servants posted to Bali, the Maldives and Abu Dhabi are receiving hardship pay and extra holidays under a taxpayer-funded scheme designed for dangerous overseas postings, The Mail on Sunday has reported.
Staff at so-called hardship posts receive tax-free bonuses of up to £10,000 a year along with additional breaks, known as “breathers,” intended to offset the toll of serving in places with security threats, high crime or severe air pollution.
Critics have questioned why Abu Dhabi, described as one of the safest cities on Earth, or Cape Town appear on the roughly 150-strong hardship list alongside undeniably dangerous postings. The honeymoon destination Muscat and the Turks and Caicos Islands, which enjoy 350 sunny days a year, also remain on the list.
One defender of the scheme told the paper it was “odd” that glamorous locations were included, suggesting isolation may be a factor in some cases.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office does periodically revise the list. Bamako, the capital of Mali, was removed this year.
The report also found that some officials used taxpayer-funded flights to travel between hardship postings for leisure. Since Labour took office, a dozen such trips have originated from New Delhi alone.
The revelation drew sharp criticism from opposition politicians. Kevin Hollinrake, Conservative Party chairman, called the trips “taxpayer-funded jollies” and an insult to families paying higher taxes. William Yarwood of the TaxPayers’ Alliance called on ministers to review the allowances and publish the costs.
An FCDO spokesman said the department has a duty of care to staff serving in challenging environments and that compensation reflects the circumstances of each posting.
