Deputy Tom Rylatt of Forward Guernsey urged Policy and Resources to prioritise its relocation-allowance review after the review missed its deadline.
P&R missed its original review timetable
Policy and Resources said in June last year that the review was on track to finish by the end of September 2025. Deputy Tom Rylatt of Forward Guernsey said the delay was disappointing and that the review should be a priority for P&R. He said the committee needed to understand how the relocation packages affected the rental market while housing costs put pressure on islanders.¹²
P&R President Lindsay de Sausmarez said several stages of work had been completed and the committee was due to consider the review again shortly. She attributed the delay to the committee’s recent workload, including reforms to the island’s tax system and a budget for 2027. Her account describes progress on the review, but does not give a new completion date.¹²
The review is weighing different support options
P&R said in June 2025 that its review would examine different forms of relocation support and possible alternatives. The work would use workforce data and financial analysis. That scope makes the review broader than a check on the cash grant alone: the existing package includes help with rent and moving-related costs, and the committee is considering options for the support as a whole.¹²
P&R President Lindsay de Sausmarez said several stages of work had been completed and the committee was due to consider the review again shortly.
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Read More →Officials said the review was unlikely to be made public because it concerned an internal policy. They said P&R would clearly communicate any changes. That leaves the published outcome focused on decisions about the rules, rather than release of the review itself; the current information does not set out which alternatives the committee is weighing or how it will compare them.¹²
The package combines grants with rent and purchase support
To qualify, a recruit must have accepted a full-time States of Guernsey role, qualify for a long-term employment permit and have lived outside the bailiwick before appointment. The relocation grant is £5,000 for Guernsey or £6,600 for Alderney. It is paid only after pre-employment checks are complete and the employee has signed a contract. People on short-term contracts lasting less than a year may receive £1,400.¹²
The current policy also provides rental help for up to four years, storage costs and, in some cases, support with the mortgage on an unsold home. Rent assistance has a qualifying charge of at least £185 a week and a maximum of £260 a week. Eligible buyers can receive an £8,750 house-purchase grant for buying a home in the bailiwick within two years of starting employment. Permanent-contract employees must repay the grant if their employment ends within three years.¹²
Rent levels and scheme spending fuel the debate
A recent Scrutiny Management Committee report linked the allowances to the high cost of renting in Guernsey. States of Guernsey figures put the average monthly rent at £2,138 after a 65% rise over the previous decade. Scrutiny Management Committee President Andy Sloan described the policy as excessive and said the subsidy could push local market rents upwards. The figures and the committee’s criticism put the housing-cost question at the centre of the review.¹²
The States spent £2,460,465 on the scheme between January and June this year, nearly double its spending for all of 2018. Of the 415 grants issued in that period, 237 went to Health and Social Care staff, 95 to teachers, 21 to law enforcement staff and 62 to workers in other areas. Nick Dove of the Royal College of Nursing said the grants helped attract staff and ease living costs, while acknowledging resentment among workers.¹²
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Read More →The debate also includes competing views on the scheme’s effect. Wayne Bates of the NASUWT said cutting it would harm Guernsey. HSC Vice-President Aidan Matthews said rising rents had led him to campaign for changes to the grants at the election. Deputy St Pier said he was concerned about rising property prices and blamed relocation grants in part.¹²
Rent levels and scheme spending fuel the debate A recent Scrutiny Management Committee report linked the allowances to the high cost of renting in Guernsey.
Check relocation perks before accepting a Guernsey role
If you are weighing a States of Guernsey job, treat the relocation package as a moving target. The review of these grants is overdue, and the committee has not set a new completion date. That means the current terms—£5,000 for Guernsey, £6,600 for Alderney, plus rent help up to £260 a week and an £8,750 house-purchase grant—could change without public notice. Before you sign, ask for the current policy in writing and confirm which parts, if any, are under review.¹²
The debate also affects your pay expectations. Spending on the scheme nearly doubled from 2018 to the first half of this year, and 237 of 415 grants went to health and social care staff. If you work in that field, the grant is a real part of your compensation, but it is also a source of local resentment and could be cut. Plan for the possibility that the subsidy shrinks, and factor the three-year repayment rule into your decision to stay or leave.¹²
Sources
Written by Career Ahead AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify key facts. Report errors to support@careeraheadonline.com
