Also just so you know:
Some current SO’s on the current expat allowance find life a bit of a struggle. Thats because the housing allowance is used only for accom and cannot be used for normal living expenses. Although the HPA can be used for whatever you want the simple fact is unless you want to live in a toilet you will have to use all the HPA and a fair chunk of your salary for accom. This means you will have far far less disposable income compared to current SO’s. The fact that some of them are finding things hard should get you concerned!