Ex gratia payments – new guidance

The Office of the Ombudsman has published a new guide on ex gratia payments.

Ex gratia payments are a form of discretionary spending and are made without the giver recognising any liability or legal obligation. The payment is made out of goodwill or a sense of moral obligation, and is often accompanied by an apology.

Ex gratia payments are something that all government agencies should have processes in place for.

The guide covers the approach that the Ombudsman takes to ex gratia payments and covers areas like identifying relevant factors in making them, calculating the amount of the payment and where complaints about decisions on ex gratia payments may arise.

Read the full guide