TSC hardship allowance applies to teachers who are working in Arid and Semi-Arid Land (ASAL) areas. These areas are popularly christened as hardship.
The commission takes into consideration several factors before classifying an area as hardship. The following are conditions that qualifies a place as hardship zone;
Lack of or unavailability or inaccessibility to food,
Inadequate transport and communication network,
Limited basic social services and amenities,
Persistent harsh climatic conditions like flooding, landslides and drought,
Insecurity and high possibility of security threats.
From the aforementioned conditions, hardship allowance is therefore paid in an effort to compensate for the cost of living for teachers working in areas designated as hardship.
It is increasingly clear that teachers working in hardship areas face a myriad of challenges; from lack of water, flooding to hostile living conditions characterised by constant spates of attacks.
Hardship allowance is paid on a monthly basis and varies from one grade to another. For teachers in grade B5 which is the lowest and the entry grade for teachers in primary school, they are entitled to a hardship allowance of Ksh 6,600 per month.
In secondary schools there are two entry grades C1 and C2. C1 is for teachers with diploma holder certificate while for graduate teachers, their entry grade is C2. Teachers in grade C1 are paid a monthly hardship allowance of Kes. 8,200 while graduate teachers are paid Kes. 10,900 every month.
Teachers in D5 which is the most coveted job grade take home Kes. 38,100 per month as hardship allowance.
