Mobility allowance is payable to staff in the P and FS categories. To qualify for payment of the mobility allowance, a staff member must have five years’ prior consecutive service as a staff member in the United Nations or another organization of the common system. Service credited towards the five-year requirement may include service as a GS or NO staff member.
As provided in section 5 of the Administrative Instruction on the Mobility and hardship scheme (ST/AI/2011/6), the additional non-family hardship allowance shall be payable to eligible staff members who are assigned to duty stations designated as non-family from the beginning of their assignment and for the duration of their assignment to those locations.
Yes, staff on Temporary Appointments are eligible for the non-family hardship allowance.
No. Only eligible staff assigned to duty stations with non-family designation receive the new hardship allowance. When a staff member is assigned to a family duty station, the organization has not restricted travel of family and thus this is the personal choice of the staff member. In cases where the family does not join, the staff member may avail of Family Visit travel.
This is in recognition of the fact that a single staff member has less liabilities in maintaining a second household.
The non-family hardship allowance is equivalent to the applicable dependency rate of hardship allowance in a category “E” duty station for staff with dependents, and half of the applicable single rate of the hardship allowance in a category “E” duty station for staff paid at the single rate. As is the case with the mobility and hardship allowances, the amount of the non-family hardship allowance will vary depending on dependency status and grade level.
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 amount of the relocation grant, which is in lieu of shipment of personal effects, is linked to the travel of the family members. As only family members are being authorized to travel to the duty station join the staff member, that portion of the relocation grant relating to family members is payable.
