UK diplomats no longer get hardship bonus for being posted to Buenos Aires

The UK government has discontinued hardship payments for British diplomats stationed in certain locations around the world, including Buenos Aires and Santiago in South America. These bonuses and respite breaks were granted to those working in high-risk cities such as Beirut, Pretoria, New Delhi, Beijing, and several others. The UK has removed Santiago, Panama City, Pyongyang, Bamako, and Sarajevo from the list of locations eligible for hardship payments, according to the latest list published last week.

The 144 locations still on the list include popular holiday destinations such as Bali and Rio De Janeiro, which has drawn criticism from the Conservatives.

The Foreign Office has provided extra payments for civil servants working in high-danger or high-risk health areas for the past 30 years. These allowances are meant to compensate staff and their families for the additional costs and challenges of living in difficult overseas locations. Factors considered in the allowance include security measures, climate, natural disasters, isolation, and impacts on quality of life.

While the exact amounts are not routinely published, in 2009, the highest payments were for postings to Karachi, Pakistan, worth £26,647, or Abuja, Nigeria, worth £14,804. The hardship payment for being posted with a spouse to Buenos Aires was £1,517, and Santiago was £777 in 2009.

Parliamentary questions raised concerns about the fairness of taxpayers footing the bill for such postings. Lord Wood of Anfield, Foreign Office minister, stated that assessments of hardship take into account factors requiring additional breaks for staff's physical or mental health. Bangkok, Cape Town, and Kuala Lumpur remain among the cities qualifying for hardship payments, alongside Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Muscat.

Tory chairman Kevin Hollinrake pledged to cut the size of the civil service if the Conservatives were returned to power, calling the current practice unfair on taxpayers and pledging to end "taxpayer-funded jollies" to destinations such as Bali, Cape Town, and the Maldives. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office defended the scheme, emphasizing the duty of care to ensure staff are properly supported, stating that compensation and other provisions reflect the circumstances of the posting, similar to any private sector job.