Key facts
- Sir Chris Wormald received a record payout of approximately £500,000 after being dismissed as head of the civil service.
- The payment was approved via a ministerial direction due to concerns over value for money.
- Wormald had served 14 months in the role before his dismissal.
- The previous record payout was £457,000 to Tom Scholar.
- Wormald was nominated for a crossbench peerage by Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Sir Chris Wormald, the former head of the civil service, received a record payout of approximately £500,000 upon his dismissal from the top Whitehall role by Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Wormald had served just 14 months as cabinet secretary before being replaced by Antonia Romeo.
The unprecedented payment required a ministerial direction from Starmer, requested by Cabinet Office permanent secretary Cat Little, to override concerns about value for money. In her letter, Little stated that the proposed award was greater than Wormald's contractual entitlement but deemed it necessary due to the high-profile, unique nature of the role and the short notice of departure. She noted the complexity of the legal position made it impossible to definitively assess value for money, but highlighted the public interest in concluding the matter to prevent distraction from government operations.
The previous highest settlement was £457,000 given to Tom Scholar, who was dismissed as permanent secretary of the Treasury by Liz Truss. Following his departure, Wormald was nominated for a crossbench peerage by Starmer. The Cabinet Office declined to comment on individual HR matters, with sources indicating the £500,000 figure was approximate and further details would be published in the department's annual report.