Severance and redundancy payments

Request data on severance packages paid to departing staff.

When senior staff leave a public body, they sometimes receive substantial severance payments. This data shows how much public money is being spent on exit packages and whether appropriate governance is in place.

Dear [AUTHORITY NAME], Please provide the following information for [FINANCIAL YEAR e.g. 2024-25]: 1. The total number of staff who received a severance or redundancy payment. 2. The total value of all severance and redundancy payments made. 3. A breakdown of payments by value band (e.g. under £20,000, £20,000–£50,000, £50,000–£100,000, over £100,000). 4. The job title and payment value for any individual severance package exceeding £100,000. I am not asking for the names of individuals, only job titles. I would prefer to receive this by email. Yours faithfully, [YOUR NAME]
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Who to send it to#

Any Scottish public authority: council, health board, or government agency. Find the right authority on the Commissioner’s directory of Scottish public authorities. You can also send your request through WhatDoTheyKnow, which publishes responses online.

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Tips#

  • Severance packages for senior staff are often disclosed in annual accounts, but not always in detail. A request can fill in the gaps.
  • The Scottish Information Commissioner has ordered disclosure of severance payment information in several cases, so authorities should be aware that this data is generally releasable.
  • If the authority objects on personal data grounds, point out that you are asking for job titles only and that there is a strong public interest in knowing how public money is spent.
  • You can follow up with a request for any settlement agreements or confidentiality clauses associated with the departures.