CIRC 031: NATIONAL CHAIR UPDATE MARCH 2026

Please bring the contents of this circular to the attention of all POA members.

 

Pay Award 2026/27

The Government has announced that it will accept in full the Prison Service Pay Review Body’s (PSPRB) recommendations for the 2026/27 pay year.

This means Prison Service staff on Fair & Sustainable (F&S) terms will receive a headline pay uplift of at least 3.5%.

The main elements are:

• Band 2 – 3.5% headline increase to the pay point, in addition to the increase paid from 1 April 2026 due to the new National Living Wage.
• Band 3 – 3.5% headline increase to the pay points and pay progression up one pay point for those below the pay band maximum.
• Band 4 – 3.5% headline increase to the pay point.
• Band 5 – 3.5% headline increase to the pay points and pay progression up one pay point for those below the pay band maximum.
• Bands 7 to 12 – 3.5% headline increase to all pay points.
• Bands 8 to 11 - progression pay of 3.33% for those below the pay band maxima.

Closed grade staff - a one-off, non-consolidated, non-pensionable payment worth 3.5% of base pay for those closed grade staff who would not benefit financially from opting into F&S. Those who would financially benefit from opting into F&S will be provided with the opportunity to do so later this year and would receive the F&S pay award.

 

Increases to allowances and pay scale as follows:

• An increase in the hourly rate of Prison Officer Payment Plus to £23 per hour.

• For Band 2 OSGs, the temporary Unsocial Working Hours payment will be maintained at 25% of base pay until publication of the 2027 report, whilst we finalise work to agree an appropriate permanent approach to unsocial hours working. More information on the temporary allowance changes can be found in the staff Q&A.

• Qualified PE Instructors will again receive a non-consolidated and non-pensionable payment of £1,500 until the publication of the PSPRB’s 2027 Report.

• A 3.5% increase to Care and Maintenance of Dogs allowance, and allowance for multiple dogs set at 25% above single rate.

• Fixed cash pay differentials for Inner and Outer London be increased by 3.5%, with the minima and intermediate points adjusted so that progression steps are the same percentage as on the National bands.

This pay award will be backdated to 1^st April 2026. It is envisaged that Shared Service Centre will implement the award as soon as possible in salaries, and by the end of June.

Due to the ongoing crisis in the middle east affecting significantly the cost of living, the General Secretary has written to the Government asking for an additional cost of living payment to compliment any pay award.

The 2026 Prison Service Pay Review Body England and Wales Report has been published and can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/psprb-twenty-fifth-report-on-england-and-wales-2026

The Government has accepted the recommendations in full - https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2026-03-26/hcws1463

 

Medical Efficiency dismissals

All POA members and local committees should take note of the following that HMPPS have issued to all Governors:

As you will be aware, ongoing disruption to Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS) calculations following the Capita transition is continuing to impact people who are leaving MoJ and the Civil Service. Without a confirmed quote from Capita, medical efficiency payments cannot be made and proceeding with dismissals in the absence of confirmed figures risks placing staff in significant financial detriment. In addition, those being dismissed on medical efficiency grounds are not eligible for the transitional loans.

Line managers are therefore required to pause all medical efficiency dismissals until further notice for all staff who are members of the Civil Service Pension Scheme, at the point when:

• a quote for their medical efficiency payment from the Civil Service Pension Scheme provided by Capita is required.
• Cases currently in progress where dismissal have not yet taken effect unless an up-to-date Capita quote has already been provided.
• Cases where dismissal has been decided but final payments and exit

processes have not been completed unless an up-to-date Capita quote has already been provided.

Interim Position – Action Required.

Where a case would otherwise have resulted in dismissal based on medical efficiency, staff must instead remain in employment and be managed under existing sickness absence provisions, including extension of sick pay where appropriate under policy. Managers should not progress to dismissal until further instruction is issued centrally.

The POA have secured an agreement with HMPPS that ensures any member of staff who has had their inefficiency process ‘paused’ will have their full pay reinstated until their inefficiency process is finalised.

 

Employment Rights Act 2025

The Employment Rights Act 2025 amends the definition of a qualifying disclosure in respect of whistleblowing protection to include a disclosure that sexual harassment (unwanted conduct of a sexual nature) “has occurred, is occurring or is likely to occur”. This removes the need for workers to fit sexual harassment into existing categories (like health and safety) to qualify for whistleblowing protection.

This change strengthens protections for whistleblowers, by making it clear that workers who ‘blow the whistle’ on sexual harassment can benefit from whistleblowing protections against detriment (adverse treatment) and unfair dismissal. This amendment is expected to come into force in Great Britain on the 6^th April 2026. This does not apply to Northern Ireland.

 

POA Scotland

Following the closing date for the SNC Chair post, there were no other candidates for the post. I am delighted to announce that John Cairney, having received the required nomination(s) has been returned to post unopposed.

  

Spitting Incident Bags

HMPPS have confirmed, after pressure from the NEC, that they will be introducing Spit incident grab bags for staff who experience spitting incidents while carrying out their duties .The primary purpose of the spit response bag is to ensure that staff have access to immediate, dignified, and trauma‑aware support after being subjected to spitting. The contents of the bag should include:

- Bar soap
- Shampoo
- Toothpaste
- Manual toothbrush
- Mouthwash
- Flannel
– Towel
- Trauma‑aware organisational messaging
- Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) information
- Local care team or wellbeing support contacts
- Body fluid exposure guidance
- Incident reporting reminders

 

All the best.

 

Mark Fairhurst
National Chair