Most of this year’s recommended pay rises for public sector workers have been accepted in full by the Government. Six of the eight independent pay review bodies (PRBs) have submitted their reports, with recommendations for increases ranging between 3.6% for NHS staff to 4.5% for the armed forces. Higher still was the recommended 4.75% from the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) for the judiciary. However this was not accepted and instead an uplift of 4% was awarded.
The other outcome that differs from the recommendation is that for teachers. In her statement, the Secretary of State for Education said: ‘Schools will be expected to find approximately the first 1% of pay awards through improved productivity and smarter spending to make every pound count.’ This means that only 3% of the recommended 4% award will be ‘new money’.
The table below summarises the outcomes for each group, expressed in terms of the increase in basic pay. These pay increases are all higher than the current level of CPI inflation (showing at 3.5% in the year to April 2025) and above IDR's whole economy median of 3.2% for three months ending April 2025. However, most are below the Office for National Statistics’ headline estimate of inflation, the CPIH, which stands at 4.1%, and significantly below the RPI at 4.5%. In addition to their basic pay rise of 4%, operational support staff in prisons will receive a temporary 5% increase in their unsocial hours payment. This will apply for two years from 1 April 2025.
Recommended outcomes for police officers, as well as chief police officers covered by the Senior Salaries Review Body, and staff working for the National Crime Agency, are yet to be submitted to the Government.
