The Cabinet Office has disclosed that Sir Chris Wormald, who served as cabinet secretary and head of the UK civil service until his removal earlier this year, received a departure payment of £859,496.
The amount, disclosed in the department's accounts, is described as a record sum and was larger than what Sir Chris was contractually entitled to. Officials said a special direction from ministers was sought and granted to authorise the payment because it exceeded normal contractual limits.
The payout follows Sir Chris's dismissal by Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The Cabinet Office accounts do not set out the full circumstances of his departure but confirm the figure and the need for ministerial approval for the additional payment.
The disclosure has drawn attention because such a large payment to the most senior civil servant is unprecedented and required exceptional administrative steps. The accounts serve as the formal record of the transaction but offer limited explanation beyond the fact that the sum exceeded contractual entitlement and required ministerial authorisation.
Opposition figures and some commentators are likely to scrutinise the disclosure given the size of the payment and the taxpayer funding involved. The Cabinet Office has not, in the accounts, provided further commentary on the rationale for authorising an amount above contractual terms.
The publication of the accounts provides an official record of the payout, while the broader political and administrative implications may be pursued through parliamentary scrutiny or further reporting.