The NJC Pay Award 2026/27 has been confirmed at 3.3%, covering eligible council employees and school support staff working under NJC Green Book terms in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The increase is effective from 1 April 2026 and applies to NJC spinal column points 3 to 43, relevant nationally agreed allowances and eligible locally determined pay points.
Because the agreement was reached later in the year, eligible employees are generally due backpay from 1 April until their employer implements the new rates.
| NJC Pay Award 2026/27 | Confirmed Position |
| Pay Increase | 3.3% |
| Effective Date | 1 April 2026 |
| Pay Points Covered | SCP 3–43 |
| Allowances | 3.3% Increase |
| Backpay | Backdated To 1 April 2026 |
| SCP 2 | Deleted From 1 April 2026 |
| Pay Year | 1 April 2026 To 31 March 2027 |
| Current Status | Agreed |
The Local Government Association confirmed on 24 August 2026 that agreement had been reached on rates applying from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027.
Last Updated: 17.09.2026
What Has Been Agreed In The NJC Pay Award 2026/27?
The settlement provides a 3.3% consolidated and permanent increase rather than a temporary or one-off payment.
The increase applies to NJC pay points 3 to 43. Eligible locally determined salaries above the top of the national spine but below deputy chief officer grades are also covered in accordance with Green Book arrangements.
Relevant nationally agreed allowances have also increased by 3.3%.
The settlement followed several months of disagreement between employers and the recognised unions.
The unions had originally sought a significantly larger settlement, including a pay increase of at least £3,000 or 10%, whichever was greater, and a £15 minimum hourly rate.
Other elements of the claim included improved annual leave, a shorter working week and changes affecting school support staff. Those additional demands were not included in the final 2026/27 settlement.
When Did the 3.3% NJC Pay Award Take Effect?
Although agreement was not reached until August, the NJC Pay Award 2026/27 applies retrospectively from 1 April 2026.
This means the delay in reaching agreement does not change the official effective date.
Employees who remained on eligible NJC terms throughout the period should therefore receive the difference between their old and new rates for the relevant period once their employer processes the award.
Who Is Covered By The NJC Pay Award?
The National Joint Council for Local Government Services determines national pay and core conditions for more than 1.4 million local government services employees.
Workers potentially covered include:
- Social Workers And Care Employees.
- Teaching Assistants And School Support Staff.
- Council Administrative Employees.
- Housing And Benefits Officers.
- Refuse And Recycling Workers.
- Cleaners And Caretakers.
- Library And Leisure Employees.
- Maintenance And Grounds Staff.
- Customer Service Employees.
- Environmental Health And Regulatory Staff.
Coverage ultimately depends on the employee’s contract and whether their employer follows NJC Green Book terms.
Scottish local government employees are covered by separate negotiating arrangements. Teachers are also normally covered by different national or devolved pay arrangements.
NJC Pay Scales 2026/27
The confirmed NJC pay scales 2026/27 now run from SCP 3 to SCP 43 after SCP 2 was permanently removed from the national spine.
The lowest national point is now £25,614 a year, while SCP 43 is worth £56,293 a year.
Full NJC Pay Spine From SCP 3 To SCP 43
| 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 |
The hourly figures are based on the national 37-hour working week. Local working arrangements can differ, so an employee’s contractual hourly rate may not always match the national illustration.
Annual And Monthly Pay Increases
Because the settlement is percentage-based, the cash increase becomes larger further up the NJC pay spine.
| SCP | Annual Increase | Approx. Gross Monthly Increase |
| 3 | £818 | £68.17 |
| 5 | £844 | £70.33 |
| 12 | £944 | £78.67 |
| 20 | £1,076 | £89.67 |
| 28 | £1,292 | £107.67 |
| 35 | £1,523 | £126.92 |
| 43 | £1,798 | £149.83 |
These are gross figures before Income Tax, National Insurance, pension contributions or other deductions.
How Much Backpay Will NJC Employees Receive?
Because the NJC Pay Award 2026/27 is backdated to 1 April 2026, eligible employees should receive arrears covering the difference between the old rate and the new rate until the revised salary enters payroll.
The exact amount depends on the employee’s SCP, working hours, employment dates and when their employer implements the award.
For example, an employee on SCP 20 moves from £32,597 to £33,673, an annual increase of £1,076. That is approximately £89.67 gross for a full month.
If five complete months of arrears were due, the basic gross backpay would be around £448.35, before considering payroll rounding or deductions.
An SCP 35 employee gains approximately £126.92 gross a month. Five months at that rate would be approximately £634.60 gross.
These figures are examples rather than individual payroll calculations.
When Will Councils And Schools Pay The Backpay?
There is no single national NJC backpay date.
The national agreement sets the new rates and effective date, but each council, school, academy trust or payroll provider needs to update its own payroll system.
Some employers may therefore process the NJC pay rise in September 2026, while others may use October or a later payroll.
Employees should check communications from their employer rather than assuming that another council’s payment date will apply to them.
Will Former Employees Receive NJC Backpay?
Employees who left an NJC employer after 1 April 2026 may still have money due for the qualifying period in which they worked.
The National Association of Local Councils says that where a former employee requests payment, councils should pay money owed from 1 April 2026 until that employee’s final day of employment.
Former employees who believe they are affected should therefore contact their previous payroll or HR department.
How Does The NJC Pay Award Affect Part-Time And Term-Time Staff?
Part-time workers receive the increase on their contractual salary rather than receiving the full-time annual cash amounts shown in the national pay table.
The same principle applies to many term-time-only school employees.
A teaching assistant may, for example, be attached to an NJC spinal point with a published full-time equivalent salary of £29,542. That does not necessarily mean the employee earns £29,542.
Actual earnings can depend on contracted weekly hours, paid weeks, holiday entitlement and the local authority or trust’s term-time calculation.
Backpay will normally be calculated using the employee’s actual contractual earnings over the qualifying period.
What Does The NJC Pay Award Mean For School Support Staff?
The NJC Pay Award 2026/27 is particularly important for school support employees, including teaching assistants, administrators, cleaners, caretakers, technicians, midday supervisors and learning-support employees.
Maintained schools commonly use NJC and Green Book arrangements.
Academy trusts are more complicated. Many continue to use NJC-based pay structures, while others have their own contractual arrangements.
Employees should therefore check their contract rather than assuming every academy automatically follows the national settlement.
Does The Award Apply To Teaching Assistants?
Teaching assistants employed on NJC terms receive the 3.3% increase appropriate to their spinal point.
However, the unions’ original claim sought additional changes for teaching assistants, including removal of the Level 1 role and movement of affected workers to Level 2. This was not included in the final 3.3% national settlement.
Individual grading therefore remains dependent on local job evaluation and employer arrangements.
Does The NJC Pay Award Apply To Teachers?
Generally, no. Teachers have separate pay arrangements. The NJC settlement mainly concerns council workers and school support employees covered by Green Book terms.
A school may therefore have different pay settlements operating simultaneously for teachers and support employees.
What Happened To SCP 2 In 2026?
Spinal Column Point 2 was permanently deleted from the NJC pay spine from 1 April 2026.
This change was agreed as part of the previous 2025/26 settlement and means the 2026/27 national pay spine begins at SCP 3.
One reason the bottom of the NJC spine has become increasingly important is continued growth in the statutory National Living Wage.
The UK National Living Wage rose to £12.71 an hour for employees aged 21 and over from 1 April 2026.
By comparison, the national hourly rate at NJC SCP 3 is £13.28.
That relatively small gap helps explain why the structure of the lower NJC pay spine is now being reviewed.
Which NJC Allowances Increased By 3.3%?
The settlement does not only increase basic salaries. Relevant nationally agreed allowances covered by the NJC agreement also receive the 3.3% increase from 1 April 2026.
Depending on the employee’s role and contract, this may affect payments connected with standby duties, sleeping-in arrangements or other nationally agreed allowances.
Locally determined supplements are different. Whether a local payment increases automatically depends on the employer’s arrangements and how that allowance is linked to the national agreement.
How Does The NJC Pay Rise Affect Pensionable Pay?
Because the 3.3% increase is consolidated into basic salary, it can also affect pensionable earnings for employees participating in the Local Government Pension Scheme.
A higher pensionable salary generally means higher pension contributions in cash terms and can affect the pension benefits being built up.
The precise impact varies according to pay, LGPS contribution band, working pattern and individual circumstances.
Backpay may also include pension deductions where the arrears relate to pensionable salary.
Could NJC Backpay Affect Universal Credit?
Employees receiving Universal Credit should pay particular attention to how a large backpay payment falls within their assessment period.
Universal Credit normally responds to earnings reported through PAYE. Receiving several months of salary arrears in one payroll period may therefore temporarily increase the earnings recorded for that assessment period.
The effect is not identical for every claimant because Universal Credit depends on household circumstances, work allowances, earnings and assessment dates.
Employees expecting substantial NJC backpay who also receive Universal Credit should check how their payroll payment has been reported and review their Universal Credit statement after the payment is made.
Why Did The Unions Initially Reject The 3.3% Offer?
The joint union claim was substantially higher than the eventual settlement.
UNISON, GMB and Unite had sought an increase of at least £3,000 or 10%, whichever was greater, alongside a £15 minimum hourly rate and improvements to several employment conditions.
Employers instead proposed a 3.3% increase and described it as their full and final offer.
The unions initially argued that this was insufficient to address previous losses in the value of local government pay, recruitment problems and retention pressures.
What Happened In The Union Ballots?
The dispute moved into ballots and consultations during spring and summer 2026.
UNISON conducted targeted industrial-action ballots involving employees at hundreds of employers.
Although a substantial majority of returned votes supported action, the statutory turnout threshold was not achieved across enough large employers to create the industrial leverage sought.
GMB also ultimately moved towards acceptance.
The joint union side subsequently accepted the employer’s 3.3% offer, allowing the national settlement to be completed in August.
Why Was the 3.3% Settlement Eventually Accepted?
The acceptance did not mean that all of the unions’ original demands had been achieved.
Instead, the settlement reflected the practical position following the ballot process and the employers’ continued description of the 3.3% increase as a final offer.
The result was a one-year settlement covering the period to 31 March 2027.
NJC Pay Award Timeline: From The Claim To The 2026 Settlement
| Date | Development |
| Late 2025 | Joint unions prepare their 2026/27 claim |
| 1 December 2025 | Pay claim formally submitted |
| March 2026 | Employers propose a 3.3% full and final increase |
| Spring 2026 | Unions consult members and reject the offer |
| July–August 2026 | Targeted industrial-action ballots take place |
| August 2026 | Union positions shift towards settlement |
| 24 August 2026 | NJC 2026/27 pay agreement confirmed |
| From August 2026 | Employers begin implementing new rates and arrears |
| 31 March 2027 | Current NJC pay year ends |
The timeline explains why employees may see a substantial amount of arrears even though the pay award itself officially begins in April.
How Does The 2026/27 NJC Pay Award Compare With Previous Years?
| Pay Year | Headline Settlement | Effective Date | Status |
| 2024/25 | £1,290 On Applicable NJC Points | 1 April 2024 | Agreed |
| 2025/26 | 3.2% | 1 April 2025 | Agreed |
| 2026/27 | 3.3% | 1 April 2026 | Agreed |
The shift back to percentage increases means workers higher up the spine receive a larger cash increase than those towards the bottom.
That distinction is important when comparing the headline percentage with earlier settlements that used flat cash increases.
Why Is The NJC Green Book Important?
The Green Book provides the national framework for pay and many employment conditions across local government.
It covers the national pay spine alongside matters such as working arrangements, annual leave, overtime, allowances and other employment conditions.
However, the NJC does not nationally determine the exact grade for every council job.
Individual employers use job evaluation and local grading structures to decide which spinal points apply to particular roles. This is why two jobs covered by the Green Book can have different salary ranges.
Could NJC Pay Scales Change Again In 2027?
Potentially. The NJC has started a broader review of the national pay spine, separate from the 2026/27 pay settlement.
The review is intended to create a structure that can better withstand future National Living Wage increases while retaining enough flexibility for councils to operate their own local pay and grading arrangements.
The Local Government Association says the parties aim to conclude the review by 31 March 2027.
That means the structure of the NJC pay spine could become an important issue alongside negotiations over the percentage or cash increase for 2027/28.
Could School Support Staff Pay Arrangements Also Change?
School support staff arrangements are another area to watch.
Changes to national bargaining structures and the wider review of local government pay could influence how some support roles are treated in future.
For 2026/27, however, eligible employees should focus on the confirmed 3.3% NJC award and the contractual arrangements currently used by their employer.
What Should Employees Check On Their Payslip?
Once an employer implements the award, employees should compare their payslip with their previous salary and contractual information.
Important details include the new annual or hourly rate, correct SCP, backpay period, overtime or allowance adjustments, pension deductions and the date from which the revised salary has been applied.
Part-time and term-time employees should remember that full-time equivalent salaries in national tables will not normally equal their actual contractual salary.
Any apparent discrepancy should first be checked against the employee’s contract, employer pay scale and payroll calculation.
Conclusion
The NJC Pay Award 2026/27 is now confirmed, ending several months of uncertainty for council employees and school support staff covered by Green Book arrangements.
The final settlement provides a 3.3% consolidated increase from 1 April 2026, with the national spine now running from SCP 3 at £25,614 to SCP 43 at £56,293.
Relevant allowances also rise by 3.3%, while eligible workers should receive arrears covering the period before implementation.
Payment dates will vary between employers, so employees should check their own council, school or academy payroll information rather than relying on a single national payment date.
Attention will increasingly move towards the NJC pay-spine review and the 2027/28 negotiations, particularly as the National Living Wage continues to place pressure on the lowest points of the local-government salary structure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has The NJC Pay Award 2026/27 Been Confirmed?
Yes. The NJC Pay Award 2026/27 has been agreed at 3.3%, effective retrospectively from 1 April 2026.
How Much Is The NJC Pay Rise For 2026/27?
Eligible NJC pay points and relevant allowances increase by 3.3%. The exact cash increase depends on the employee’s salary and working arrangements.
When Will The NJC 3.3% Pay Rise Be Paid?
There is no single national payment date. Individual employers and payroll providers determine when the updated rates and arrears appear in employees’ pay.
Will The NJC Pay Award Be Backdated To April 2026?
Yes. The settlement applies from 1 April 2026, so eligible employees are generally due arrears for the period before the new rate is implemented.
How Much NJC Backpay Will I Get?
Backpay depends on the employee’s SCP, contractual salary, working hours and implementation date. Tax, National Insurance and pension deductions can reduce the amount actually received.
Does The NJC Pay Award Apply To School Support Staff?
It applies to school support employees whose contracts follow NJC Green Book arrangements. Maintained schools commonly use these arrangements, while academy trust policies can vary.
What Are The New NJC Pay Scales For 2026/27?
The national NJC spine runs from £25,614 at SCP 3 to £56,293 at SCP 43 for 2026/27. SCP 2 was permanently deleted from 1 April 2026.
