The local government pay rise 2026/27 is 3.3% for employees covered by the National Joint Council for Local Government Services.
The award applies retrospectively from 1 April 2026 and covers NJC spinal column points 3 to 43, alongside a 3.3% increase in relevant nationally agreed allowances.
The pay negotiations have now concluded. This means the 3.3% figure is no longer simply an employer offer. It is the agreed 2026/27 NJC pay award, with eligible workers due the new rates and any applicable back pay from April 2026.
Last Updated: 17.09.2026
Local Government Pay Rise 2026/27: Latest Position
Agreement on the 2026/27 local government pay award was reached in August 2026 after several months of negotiations between the National Employers and recognised trade unions.
| Pay Issue | 2026/27 Position |
| Final NJC pay award | 3.3% |
| Effective date | 1 April 2026 |
| Pay period | 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027 |
| NJC pay points covered | SCP3 to SCP43 |
| Relevant NJC allowances | Increased by 3.3% |
| Current status | Agreed |
| Back pay | Due from 1 April 2026 where applicable |
| Lowest NJC spinal point | SCP3 |
The agreement is important for council workers and many school support employees because the new salary scales replace the previous 2025/26 rates.
What Is The Final NJC Pay Award For 2026/27?
The final settlement provides a 3.3% permanent and consolidated increase across NJC pay points 3 to 43.
The increase is consolidated, which means it becomes part of an employee’s basic salary rather than being paid as a temporary bonus.
It can therefore also affect calculations connected with pensionable salary, overtime or other payments where an employer bases them on basic pay.
The same percentage increase also applies to relevant nationally agreed NJC allowances.
When Does The 3.3% Increase Take Effect?
Although the agreement was reached later in 2026, the new rates take effect from 1 April 2026.
Workers who remained on their previous salary after April should therefore normally receive arrears covering the difference between the old and new rates once their employer implements the award.
Local Government Pay Scales 2026/27
The standard NJC pay spine now starts at SCP3, following the deletion of SCP2 from April 2026.
The national scale runs from £25,614 at SCP3 to £56,293 at SCP43. Councils use these national spinal points within their own local grading structures, so two employees doing different jobs may be placed on different SCPs.
NJC Pay Spine From SCP3 To SCP43
| SCP | 2025/26 Salary | 2026/27 Salary | 2026/27 Hourly Rate |
| 3 | £24,796 | £25,614 | £13.28 |
| 4 | £25,185 | £26,016 | £13.48 |
| 5 | £25,583 | £26,427 | £13.70 |
| 6 | £25,989 | £26,847 | £13.92 |
| 7 | £26,403 | £27,274 | £14.14 |
| 8 | £26,824 | £27,709 | £14.36 |
| 9 | £27,254 | £28,153 | £14.59 |
| 10 | £27,694 | £28,608 | £14.83 |
| 11 | £28,142 | £29,071 | £15.07 |
| 12 | £28,598 | £29,542 | £15.31 |
| 13 | £29,064 | £30,023 | £15.56 |
| 14 | £29,540 | £30,515 | £15.82 |
| 15 | £30,024 | £31,015 | £16.08 |
| 16 | £30,518 | £31,525 | £16.34 |
| 17 | £31,022 | £32,046 | £16.61 |
| 18 | £31,537 | £32,578 | £16.89 |
| 19 | £32,061 | £33,119 | £17.17 |
| 20 | £32,597 | £33,673 | £17.45 |
| 21 | £33,143 | £34,237 | £17.75 |
| 22 | £33,699 | £34,811 | £18.04 |
| 23 | £34,434 | £35,570 | £18.44 |
| 24 | £35,412 | £36,581 | £18.96 |
| 25 | £36,363 | £37,563 | £19.47 |
| 26 | £37,280 | £38,510 | £19.96 |
| 27 | £38,220 | £39,481 | £20.46 |
| 28 | £39,152 | £40,444 | £20.96 |
| 29 | £39,862 | £41,177 | £21.34 |
| 30 | £40,777 | £42,123 | £21.83 |
| 31 | £41,771 | £43,149 | £22.37 |
| 32 | £42,839 | £44,253 | £22.94 |
| 33 | £44,075 | £45,529 | £23.60 |
| 34 | £45,091 | £46,579 | £24.14 |
| 35 | £46,142 | £47,665 | £24.71 |
| 36 | £47,181 | £48,738 | £25.26 |
| 37 | £48,226 | £49,817 | £25.82 |
| 38 | £49,282 | £50,908 | £26.39 |
| 39 | £50,269 | £51,928 | £26.92 |
| 40 | £51,356 | £53,051 | £27.50 |
| 41 | £52,413 | £54,143 | £28.06 |
| 42 | £53,460 | £55,224 | £28.62 |
| 43 | £54,495 | £56,293 | £29.18 |
Hourly rates shown on the national scale are based on the standard 37-hour working week. Local arrangements can differ, so employees should check the pay structure used by their employer.
How Much More Will Council Workers Receive?
A 3.3% increase produces a larger cash rise for employees on higher salaries because the same percentage applies across the pay spine.
| Pay Point | Old Salary | New Salary | Annual Increase | Approx. Monthly Increase |
| SCP3 | £24,796 | £25,614 | £818 | £68 |
| SCP10 | £27,694 | £28,608 | £914 | £76 |
| SCP20 | £32,597 | £33,673 | £1,076 | £90 |
| SCP30 | £40,777 | £42,123 | £1,346 | £112 |
| SCP40 | £51,356 | £53,051 | £1,695 | £141 |
| SCP43 | £54,495 | £56,293 | £1,798 | £150 |
These figures show the gross increase before deductions. The amount reaching an employee’s bank account can be lower after Income Tax, National Insurance, pension contributions and other payroll deductions.
How Much Back Pay Will Local Government Workers Receive?
Because the local government pay rise 2026/27 applies from 1 April, workers may receive several months of arrears when their employer moves them onto the new salary.
Back pay is broadly calculated by finding the difference between the old and new salary for the period between 1 April and the employer’s implementation date.
For example, if six months of arrears were due:
| Pay Point | Approx. Six-Month Gross Arrears |
| SCP3 | £409 |
| SCP20 | £538 |
| SCP30 | £673 |
| SCP43 | £899 |
These examples are illustrative. Someone who changed hours, received a pay increment, joined or left employment, took unpaid leave or received variable allowances may have a different calculation.
When Will Councils Pay The 2026 Back Pay?
There is no single national back-pay payday.
Once the agreement is incorporated into payroll, each council, school or other employer must update its salary systems and calculate individual arrears.
Some employers may process the increase more quickly than others. Workers should therefore check their payslip, payroll announcements or employer communications rather than expecting every council to pay arrears in the same month.
Do Former Council Employees Still Qualify For Back Pay?
Employees who left an eligible NJC-covered job after 1 April 2026 may still be owed the difference between their old salary and the new rate for the period they worked after the award’s effective date.
Former employees should contact their previous employer if arrears have not been paid automatically. The exact process can vary between employers.
What Did The Unions Originally Ask For?
The agreed 3.3% award is substantially below the original joint trade union claim.
UNISON, GMB and Unite had sought an increase of at least £3,000 or 10%, whichever was greater, across NJC pay points.
Their wider claim also included:
- Minimum Pay: Progress towards a minimum hourly rate of £15
- Working Week: A two-hour reduction without loss of pay
- Annual Leave: One additional day of annual leave
- School Staff: At least one day of paid term-time leave
- Teaching Assistants: Abolition of Level 1 teaching assistant roles with affected workers moved to Level 2
The National Employers did not accept these additional elements as part of the 2026/27 settlement.
Union Claim Vs Final 2026/27 Pay Award
| Issue | Union Claim | Final Position |
| Main increase | £3,000 or 10%, whichever was greater | 3.3% |
| Minimum rate | Progress towards £15 an hour | Not agreed |
| NJC allowances | Increase alongside pay | 3.3% |
| Working week | Two-hour reduction | Not agreed |
| Additional annual leave | One extra day | Not agreed |
| Term-time leave | One paid day | Not agreed |
| TA Level 1 | Move affected staff to Level 2 | Not agreed |
Why Did Unions Accept The 3.3% Pay Award?
The offer was initially rejected by the recognised unions, and industrial-action ballots followed.
However, although a large majority of returned UNISON ballots supported strike action, the required 50% turnout threshold was not reached at enough large employers to provide the level of industrial-action mandate needed to put further pressure on the employer side.
The joint unions subsequently accepted the 3.3% offer, allowing the national settlement to be implemented with arrears from April.
This means earlier reports describing the 3.3% figure only as a rejected employer offer are no longer current.
Local Government Pay Negotiations Timeline 2025–2026
| Date | Development |
| December 2025 | Joint trade union claim submitted |
| 24 March 2026 | Employers make a 3.3% full and final offer |
| April to June 2026 | Trade unions consult members |
| May to June 2026 | Unions reject the offer |
| 9 July 2026 | Selected UNISON strike ballots open |
| 6 August 2026 | England and Wales ballot period closes |
| August 2026 | Ballot results fail to produce sufficient mandates at enough large employers |
| August 2026 | Joint unions accept the 3.3% offer |
| 24 August 2026 | National 2026 pay agreement recorded |
| From 1 April 2026 | New pay rates apply retrospectively |
The dispute stage has therefore ended and attention has moved to implementation and payment of arrears.
Who Is Covered By The Local Government Pay Rise?
The NJC Green Book arrangements cover a broad range of council and school support jobs.
Workers can include:
- Administrative Staff: Council office and customer-service employees
- Teaching Assistants: Staff employed on NJC Green Book arrangements
- Care Workers: Employees in eligible council-run services
- Refuse Workers: Waste and recycling employees on NJC grades
- Housing Staff: Housing officers and related employees
- Library Staff: Workers employed under local government terms
- Catering And Cleaning Staff: Where NJC arrangements apply
- Highways And Environmental Staff: Employees placed on local NJC grades
Not every public-sector worker employed by a council or school follows this particular pay settlement.
Teachers, firefighters, chief officers and some other groups have separate national or local pay arrangements. Academy employees should check their employment contract because academy trusts do not all follow NJC agreements in the same way.
The agreement also should not be confused with Scottish local government pay arrangements, which follow a separate negotiating process.
How Does The Pay Rise Affect Part-Time And Term-Time Workers?
Part-time workers normally receive the 3.3% increase on their actual contractual salary rather than the full-time equivalent amount.
For example, if a full-time post moves from £30,000 to £30,990, an employee working 50% of the full-time hours would normally receive the corresponding proportional increase on their part-time salary.
Term-time-only calculations can be more complex because annual pay can depend on weekly hours, paid weeks, holiday entitlement and the employer’s calculation method.
School support employees should therefore use their own revised salary notification rather than simply applying a full-time annual figure.
Why Was SCP2 Removed From The NJC Pay Scale?
SCP2 was deleted from the NJC pay spine from 1 April 2026, meaning SCP3 became the lowest national spinal column point.
The change had already been agreed before the final 2026/27 settlement and reflects continuing pressure at the lower end of the pay structure.
The new SCP3 salary is £25,614, equivalent to a nationally published hourly rate of £13.28 on a 37-hour week.
By comparison, the statutory National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over increased to £12.71 an hour from April 2026.
The relatively narrow gap between statutory minimum pay and the bottom of the NJC spine is one reason a wider review of the pay structure is underway.
What Does The 2026/27 Pay Award Mean For Preston Council Workers?
Preston City Council uses the nationally negotiated NJC pay spine as the basis of the pay structure for most of its workforce.
This means eligible employees whose grades are linked to NJC spinal column points should see the agreed increase reflected through the council’s local pay structure.
Preston is also an accredited Real Living Wage employer. Its lowest-paid employees receive the higher of the applicable bottom NJC pay point or the Real Living Wage rate used by the council.
Individual salaries still depend on grade, spinal point, contracted hours and local employment arrangements, so workers should check their revised pay information for their exact salary.
What Happens To The NJC Pay Spine After The 2026/27 Award?
The 3.3% settlement resolves the annual pay round, but a separate review of the NJC Green Book pay spine remains underway.
The review is examining whether the existing structure can remain workable as the statutory National Living Wage continues to increase and move closer to lower NJC pay points.
The NJC aims to conclude the review by 31 March 2027.
Potential changes are not yet final, so employees should not assume that particular spinal points will be removed, merged or increased until an agreement is reached.
The review could nevertheless become important for the 2027/28 local government pay round, particularly for employees towards the lower end of the pay spine.
Conclusion
The local government pay rise 2026/27 has now been agreed at 3.3%, ending months of uncertainty over the national NJC settlement.
The increase applies retrospectively from 1 April 2026 across SCP3 to SCP43 and relevant nationally agreed allowances. Employees who remained on their old rates after April should receive applicable arrears once their employer implements the agreement.
The lowest national NJC point is now SCP3 at £25,614, while the top of the standard spine is £56,293 at SCP43.
Attention will now move from the 2026 pay dispute towards local implementation, back-pay processing and the wider NJC pay-spine review scheduled to run into 2027.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has The Local Government Pay Rise 2026/27 Been Agreed?
Yes. The final NJC pay award for 2026/27 is 3.3%, with the new rates applying retrospectively from 1 April 2026.
What Is The Final Local Government Pay Rise For 2026/27?
Employees covered by the agreement receive a permanent 3.3% increase across NJC spinal column points 3 to 43. Relevant nationally agreed allowances also increase by 3.3%.
When Does The 3.3% NJC Pay Rise Start?
The effective date is 1 April 2026, even though the national agreement was reached later in the year.
Will Local Government Workers Receive Back Pay?
Eligible workers should receive arrears covering the difference between their old and revised pay from 1 April 2026 until the new rates are implemented.
When Will The 2026 Local Government Back Pay Be Paid?
There is no single national payment date. Individual councils, schools and other employers will process the award through their own payroll systems.
Does The Pay Rise Apply To Teaching Assistants And School Support Staff?
It applies to teaching assistants and other school support employees whose contracts follow NJC Green Book pay arrangements. Academy employees should check the terms used by their employer.
What Is The Lowest NJC Pay Point In 2026/27?
SCP3 is now the lowest national NJC spinal column point. It pays £25,614 a year, with a published hourly rate of £13.28 based on the standard 37-hour working week.
