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Written question asked by Baroness Neville-Rolfe (Conservative) on Monday, 2 February 2026, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Monday, 16 February 2026. It was answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Labour) on Wednesday, 4 March 2026 on behalf of the Cabinet Office.


Civil Servants: Redundancy

Question

To ask His Majesty's Government whether voluntary exit or redundancy packages offered to civil servants are subject to a maximum cap; if so, whether that cap includes pension elements or pension-related costs; and what the current limits, eligibility criteria and conditions are for those packages across departments, including the Treasury.

Answer

The maximum cap for a Voluntary Exit (VE) or Voluntary Redundancy (VR) scheme relates to a salary cap of £149,820, mandatory for calculating higher value exit payments. There is no overall maximum cap, although exit offers should provide value for money. Pension top-ups are only mandatory for a VR scheme.

For both VE and VR, the minimum qualifying service is two years, although departments may exercise discretion.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL14193
Session
2024-26
Subjects
Civil servants Eligibility Workplace pensions Redundancy
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk