Sir Keir Starmer authorized a record pay-off of nearly £860,000 to Sir Chris Wormald following his dismissal as the United Kingdom’s cabinet secretary in February 2026. The payment, revealed in the Cabinet Office’s annual accounts published this week, exceeded initial estimates by more than threefold.

Sir Chris Wormald, who held the country’s most senior civil service post for 14 months—the shortest tenure in the role’s 110-year history—received a total settlement of £859,496. This included £332,897 in contractual payments and an additional £526,598 labeled as compensation for the “special circumstances” surrounding his abrupt departure. The Cabinet Office described his role as “high-profile” and “unique,” indicating that the extra payment was necessary due to the short notice given for his exit.

Wormald’s dismissal came amid political turmoil as Sir Keir sought to stabilize his administration. The pay-off had to be personally approved by Starmer, who was advised that the amount significantly exceeded standard contractual entitlements. Cat Little, then permanent secretary at the Cabinet Office, noted that a ministerial direction was required to authorize the payment on grounds of propriety and public value. She highlighted the need “to bring this matter to a conclusion” to prevent Wormald’s departure from becoming a distraction to government business. Starmer subsequently confirmed that the public interest was served by proceeding with the settlement.

The settlement dwarfs the standard maximum payoff of £260,000 typically available to long-serving senior civil servants and surpasses the previous record exit payment of £457,000 awarded in 2022 to Sir Tom Scholar, who was dismissed as Treasury permanent secretary. Sources familiar with the settlement pointed out that Wormald negotiated the additional payment, which they described as reflecting a form of compulsory redundancy.

The decision to authorize such a substantial pay-off has drawn criticism from opposition politicians. Conservative deputy party leader Alex Burghart condemned the settlement as an “appalling waste of taxpayers’ money,” while Tory leader Kemi Badenoch accused the government of abandoning Wormald amid controversy.

Wormald had oversight of significant processes, including vetting checks prior to Lord Mandelson’s appointment as UK ambassador to the United States, which added complexity to his exit. He is also slated to enter the House of Lords after being nominated for a peerage in July.

In light of the settlement, Gareth Davies, head of the National Audit Office, called for a review of employment terms for senior civil servants to reduce the frequency of discretionary payments beyond contractual obligations. He cited “considerable variation” in both the size and nature of exit payments across Whitehall, suggesting a need for greater consistency and transparency.

The Cabinet Office declined to comment on the specifics of human resource matters but confirmed that the payment followed a ministerial direction from the then prime minister.