The non-family hardship allowance is to compensate for the added financial burden and psychological hardship of keeping a second household and being away from family.
The regular hardship allowance compensates for the degree of hardship experienced at the duty station in terms of health, security, climate, housing, isolation, local conditions and educational facilities. Duty stations are categorized on a scale of difficulty from A to E with A being the least difficult. The amount of the hardship allowance varies according to the hardship classification of the duty station and the staff member’s grade and family status. Please go to the website of International Civil Service Commission, www.icsc.un.org, for more information on the hardship allowance.