Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 24 October (HL2166), under what criteria, and in what circumstances, the education allowance to staff of the Department for International Development is paid.

The Department for International Development (DFID) provides an education allowance to help UK based employees undertaking overseas assignments to ensure their children receive a quality education where free education does not exist or is unsuitable.

To qualify the employee must; serve for at least 12 months on an overseas assignment, be accompanied by partner and have children educated at primary or secondary school in the UK or at the overseas location. Employees who are single, widowed, divorced or legally separated are also entitled to the same support.

In certain circumstances, the allowance is paid to DFID employees based in the UK. These circumstances include; if employees children are in examination years when returning to the UK, (this is to ensure continuity of education and offer children assurance through examination process), if the security situation changes in country and DFID needs to evacuate employees and/or children or if prior to travel to overseas location a payment may be made up to 6 weeks before the start of a term.