Lord Wormald, former cabinet secretary and head of the Civil Service, received a pay-off of nearly £860,000 after being forced out of his position just 14 months into the role. The payment includes £332,897 in contractual compensation and an additional £526,598 for severance, partly to cover pension contributions due to early departure from office. Sir Keir Starmer authorized the "special severance package" on February 16, amid media reports suggesting dissatisfaction with Wormald's performance.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-14,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
In February 2025, Chris Wormald, who was appointed as cabinet secretary by then-prime minister Keir Starmer in December 2024 with a salary of about £210,000 per year, received an unusual severance package worth more than £850,000. The Cabinet Office accounts revealed that Wormald got "contractual compensation" of £332,897 and "additional severance" of £526,598, totaling nearly £860,000. A top civil servant had to ask Starmer for a direct order to approve the payment after being warned that it might not be value for money for taxpayers. The unusually high compensation was partly meant to cover Wormald's pension contributions since his removal effectively shortened his career in the Civil Service. This incident has drawn criticism from unions representing senior civil servants, who view Wormald’s treatment as a new low for government-Civil Service relations.
Written for “Cabinet Secretary Payoff” on 2026-09-14,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it +0.35, but none of the 1 quote(s) it offered could be found in the article text, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 9303: no verified evidence · logged 2026-09-14
- Published
A former top civil servant received a record pay-off of nearly £860,000 after he was forced out of his job by Sir Keir Starmer, just 14 months after the then-prime minister appointed him.
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minister → publish → him
Lord Wormald left his role as cabinet secretary and head of the Civil Service in February by "mutual agreement" following months of media reports suggesting Downing Street was unhappy with his performance.
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Street → leave → performance
The Cabinet Office's accounts, external show there was "contractual compensation" of £332,897 and "additional severance" of £526,598.
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accounts → show → 526,598
The BBC understands the size of the pay-off was partly to cover Lord Wormald's pension contributions as his removal from office essentially cut his civil service career short.
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removal → understand → career
He also was compensated for a mandatory "waiting period" following his departure from government.
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He → compensate → government
As cabinet secretary he would have had regular access to sensitive information about national security, foreign policy and the UK economy.
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he → have → security
His salary for the period 1 April 2025 to 13 February was between £210,000 and £215,000, according to the accounts, bringing his total for the year to more than £1m.
A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: "We do not comment on HR matters.
"
uncertain
We → accord → matters
The permanent secretary at the Cabinet Office received a ministerial direction from the then-prime minister to proceed with the payment to the former cabinet secretary.
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secretary → receive → secretary
The accounts state Sir Keir authorised the "special severance package" on 16 February.
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Keir → state → February
A note in them also states: "The former cabinet secretary elected to take early payment of his pension.
"
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secretary → state → pension
The majority of the total severance payment was used to ensure he could access the full value of his pension that would have been due at normal retirement age, rather than it being reduced for early payment."
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it → use → payment
The BBC has approached Lord Wormald and Sir Keir for comment.
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BBC → approach → comment
Conservative shadow Cabinet Office minister Alex Burghart said: "Chris Wormald was just one of many civil servants and advisers fired by Keir Starmer as he tried to save his own skin.
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he → say → skin
The UK's top civil servant sits next to the prime minister during cabinet minister meetings, which usually take place weekly in Downing Street when Parliament is sitting.
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Parliament → sit → Street
They are responsible for ensuring policy decisions are put into action and are ultimately responsible for all civil servants in Great Britain.
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decisions → ensure → Britain
At the time of his appointment in December 2024, Sir Keir said Lord Wormald would be tasked with "the complete re-wiring of the British state to deliver bold and ambitious long-term reform".
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Wormald → say → reform
As a career civil servant, some questioned whether he was the best person to reform the Civil Service.
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he → question → Service
Lord Wormald was replaced in February, making him the shortest-serving cabinet secretary in the history of the post.
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him → replace → post
The FDA Union, which represents senior civil servants, responded to his departure by criticising "anonymous briefings" against him and called his treatment "a new low for this government and its relationship with the Civil Service".
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which → represent → Service
Lord Wormald was replaced by Dame Antonia Romeo.
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Wormald → replace → Romeo
He was later given a seat in the House of Lords in one of Sir Keir's last acts as prime minister.
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He → give → minister
Lord Wormald will be an independent crossbench peer and is scheduled to formally take his seat on Thursday.
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Wormald → schedule → Thursday
