Guidance

Public Sector Exit Payments Guidance on Special Severance Payments

This is guidance for public sector bodies on the use of Special Severance Payments.

• From: HM Treasury
• Published: 27 May 2021
• Last updated: 28 July 2025 — See all updates

Documents

Guidance on Public Sector Exit Payments: Use of Special Severance Payments

PDF, 233 KB, 21 pages

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Guidance on Public Sector Exit Payments: Use of Special Severance Payments (Accessible)

HTML

Proforma for special severance business cases

ODT, 11.3 KB

This file is in an OpenDocument format

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Reporting Template for Special Severance Payment Data Return

MS Excel Spreadsheet, 21.2 KB

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Details

In line with Managing Public Money, this guidance details the criteria that public sector employers should consider before proposing a Special Severance Payment. It sets out the approval process required to authorise a special severance payment and introduces new transparency requirements for annual reporting on Special Severance Payments.

Published 27 May 2021

Last updated 28 July 2025 + show all updates

1. 28 July 2025

   Reporting Template for Special Severance Payment Data Return added. Guidance on Public Sector Exit Payments: Use of Special Severance Payments updated and HTML added, and Proforma for special severance business cases updated.

2. 3 June 2021

   Proforma for special severance business cases document added

3. 27 May 2021

   First published.