The National Joint Council (NJC) for Local Government Services has confirmed the 2026/27 pay award, providing a 3.3% increase in pay rates and allowances for employees covered by the Green Book terms and conditions. The award is effective from 1 April 2026.
As a reminder, part of this year’s agreement is that SCP 2 has been removed from the NJC pay spine, with the revised scale now beginning at SCP 3.
We are actively working on the implementation of the pay award and aim to have this processed for all of the support staff who work for our customers by the conclusion of October’s payroll at the latest.
As highlighted in previous articles, the 2027/28 pay award is expected to mark the introduction of the School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB), a new statutory body responsible for negotiating pay, terms and conditions for school support staff across England. We are hopeful that the SSSNB will lead to earlier agreement and communication of future pay awards, reducing administrative pressures for schools and payroll providers alike. This would be particularly welcome in relation to back-pay calculations and the ongoing challenges associated with Universal Credit where delayed pay awards can have unintended consequences for employees.