On 2 May the NHS Staff Council – by majority vote – endorsed the pay offer that was made by the government for staff employed on Agenda for Change (AfC) terms and conditions of service.
This will now be implemented and eligible staff will receive payment in their pay in June 2023. The pay offer includes the following:
For year 2022/23
Two additional payments which are non-consolidated and non-pensionable:
- a 2% payment
- a tiered cash payment depending on which of 5 tiers staff are in (see table 1 below)
Table one
Key points
- Payment is based on basic pay by pay point as opposed to individual salary and are based on the pay point as of 31 March 2023.
- There will be no adjustment to these payments in respect of any enhancements, for example unsocial hours payments.
- Part-time will be paid pro-rate to contracted hours as of 31 March 2023.
- Payments are subject to tax and NI.
- Payments are not pensionable.
- For apprentices who receive a proportion of an AfC pay band, the appropriate uplift will be applied to the pay band. For example, trainees earning 75% of B8a will receive 75% of the B8a NHS Backlog Bonus as well as the additional non-consolidated award worth 2% of their individual basic salary.
- For apprentices who receive salaries not aligned to AfC pay bands, they will receive an uplift using the principles of the offer i.e. a 2% lump sum and the most appropriate level of backlog bonus.
- /23, the new NHS employer (as at 31 March 2023) will be responsible for making the payments.
- Where staff have changed NHS employer after 31 March 2023, the NHS employer who employed the staff member as of 31 March 2023 is responsible for making the payment.
- Staff who changed their band in 2022/23 will have payments based on the pay point as of 31 March 2023, this includes those temporarily promoted or on secondment to an NHS employer.
- Staff employed on 31 March 2023 who have since left the NHS are not required to pay the pay award back.
- Staff on maternity/parental/adoption leave remain employed and are eligible to receive the non-consolidated payments based on their pay point on 31 March 2023.
- Staff on long term sickness absence, where appropriate, should receive the non-consolidated payments based on their pay point on 31 March 2023.
- Staff who retired and left NHS employment before 31 March 2023 are not eligible for non-consolidated payments.
- Staff on a career break will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
- Local RRP. Non-consolidated payments are based on basic pay by pay point, as opposed to individual salaries, therefore, there will be no adjustment to these payments in respect of Local RRP.
Receiving payments in instalments
We know that some staff wish to receive their payments for 2022/23 in instalments (i.e. paid across several months) rather than together in a single month’s pay.
Examples of this might be: where staff receive Universal Credit payments where any changes to monthly income would directly impact the value of these payments; or where staff have a student loan and are not making any payments towards it where a change in monthly income would trigger a payment.
In view of this, staff have the option to receive their 2022/23 payments in multiple instalments up to a maximum 10 in total starting in June 2023 and ending in March 2024.
Any staff who would consider making a request should seek their own advice without delay, for example via the Universal Credit helpline (see further information at Universal Credit guidance) or Citizens Advice Gateshead who are part of the Trust’s “Helping Hands” programme at nuthstaffadvice@citizensadvicegateshead.org.uk to understand how receiving payments in multiple instalments may impact their personal situation.
Staff who wish to request payments in instalments must complete this electronic form click here and press the ‘Finish Survey’ button at the bottom it – do not print it off or download it – by no later than Sunday 4 June 2023 to ensure it is received in time to meet the payroll deadline for June’s pay.
If staff do not complete and return their request in time, they will be paid the totality of their 2022/23 payments as a single lump sum in June and there will no opportunity to change this.
Managers are asked to communicate with any AfC staff who are on long term absence from work (e.g. sickness absence, maternity/paternity/adoption leave) to ensure they are aware of the pay award and the option of payment by instalments.
For year 2023/24 – with effect from 1 April 2023
- A consolidated (and pensionable) payment of 5% (see table 2 below)
- A new band 2 single pay point of £22,383 per annum (see table 2 below). This is equivalent to £11.45 per hour and exceeds the current rates for the national living wage (£10.42) and the Real Living Wage (£10.90)
Table two
Key points
- These payments are payable to staff on AfC terms and conditions (including Trust Senior Staff) and Bank staff and will apply to enhancements within AfC such as unsocial hours.
- The 2023/24 pay uplift is pensionable and for some staff who are in the NHS pension scheme this could mean moving to a higher pension contribution tier which can affect the amount of take-home pay they receive. To address this, the Trust understands that pension tier boundaries are to be increased at some point in the near future in line with annual AfC pay awards and will be effective from 1 April 2023. This will reduce the possibility of a small number of staff seeing a reduction in their take-home pay.
- For apprentices who receive a proportion of an AfC pay band, the appropriate uplift will be applied to the pay point their salary is based on. For example, trainees earning 75% of B5 will receive 75% of the 2023/24 rate for that pay point so their salary will increase by 5%.
- For apprentices who receive salaries not aligned to AfC pay bands, they will receive an uplift equivalent to 5%.
NHS England have also created these guides to demonstrate what the pay deal means for staff
If you have any queries, please contact a member of the workforce advisory team in the HR department at Regent Point or email: nuth.afcpayaward2023@nhs.net or contact your trade union representative.
