Relocation grants total £5.1m in 2025

More than £5m was spent by Guernsey's States on relocation packages in 2025, the most since the support was introduced.

The level of grants jumped by 7.7% from 2024, where £4.76m was spent on grants for people moving to the island for work.

A review of the policy around relocation packages was due to be completed in September 2025, but a delay means it is now due to be finished in the next two weeks.

That review is not to be published, according to officials. However, the Policy and Resources Committee (P&R) is due to reveal what is decided off the back of the review.

P&R Vice-President Gavin St Pier described the delay as "frustrating".

None of Guernsey's public sector unions have been consulted as part of the review of relocation packages.

The States of Guernsey said it was "always part of the plan to engage with unions as part of the review" and that it would be "happening shortly".

The head of HR and organisational development at the States of Guernsey, Anita Gaudion, told the BBC: "There were fewer new joiners accessing relocation support in 2025 than in 2024.

"This has resulted in the costs for staff that joined in 2025 being lower than those who joined in 2024 by just over 13%, £229,642."

Gaudion added: "However, it is important to remember that the total expenditure on relocation for any given year will also include employees who have already accessed relocation from previous years.

"As such, the overall costs for 2025 were £5,127,177 - a 7.7% increase (£369,724) on the 2024 figure, largely due to the private rental sector prices."

The most recent figures from the States showed at the end of 2025 the average cost of a private rental property was £2,162 per calendar month.

This was 2.4% higher than September 2025, 6.1% higher than the same period in 2024 and 57.2% higher than five years previously.

The Committee for Housing said it had recognised the impact relocation grants were having on the local housing market.

Vice-President Sasha Kazantseva-Miller said: "If we look at the number of overall relocations, they're obviously not a small proportion of the overall rental market.

"So I think, you know, we shouldn't be over exaggerating its impact, but we know certainly, anecdotally, that there have been situations where potential renters were bidding against each other and those with the relocation allowance got the rentals at the higher price.

"We've had anecdotal evidence to support that."

On whether these relocation grants were putting local residents at a disadvantage when it came to finding accommodation compared to immigrants, Kazantseva-Miller said: "I think it certainly can be felt that it is unfair to have such potentially generous relocation packages.

"And the rental support, while previously it used to be, I think, for two years, it's been extended for longer periods of time, I think it's potentially up to four years.

"If then States workers leave after that point, having taken advantage of the rent allowance but not actually staying in the community, then something is not working."

A Freedom of Information request by a member of the public revealed:

• In 2024, 292 new employees, from a total of 876 joining that year, accessed support in line with the States' relocation directive
• In 2025, 226 new employees, from a total of 742 joining that year, accessed support

Kazantseva-Miller said: "As a housing committee, we are very keen that this area is looked at properly.

"We have indicated to both P&R and officers leading on that work that this is an area of importance and focus for the committee of housing and we would like to get some answers soon."

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