NJC pay scales 2026/27
The National Joint Council spine sets pay for about 1.4 million council and school support staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The 2026/27 settlement adds 3.3% to every point and allowance from 1 April 2026, and removes SCP 2 to stay ahead of the National Living Wage.
Checked 7 September 2026 · LGA 2026 settlement circular
| SCP | Annual salary | SCP | Annual salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | £25,614 | 24 | £36,581 |
| 4 | £26,016 | 25 | £37,563 |
| 5 | £26,427 | 26 | £38,510 |
| 6 | £26,847 | 27 | £39,481 |
| 7 | £27,274 | 28 | £40,444 |
| 8 | £27,709 | 29 | £41,177 |
| 9 | £28,153 | 30 | £42,123 |
| 10 | £28,608 | 31 | £43,149 |
| 11 | £29,071 | 32 | £44,253 |
| 12 | £29,542 | 33 | £45,529 |
| 13 | £30,023 | 34 | £46,579 |
| 14 | £30,515 | 35 | £47,665 |
| 15 | £31,015 | 36 | £48,738 |
| 16 | £31,525 | 37 | £49,817 |
| 17 | £32,046 | 38 | £50,908 |
| 18 | £32,578 | 39 | £51,928 |
| 19 | £33,119 | 40 | £53,051 |
| 20 | £33,673 | 41 | £54,143 |
| 21 | £34,237 | 42 | £55,224 |
| 22 | £34,811 | 43 | £56,293 |
| 23 | £35,570 |
Points above SCP 43 exist locally: many councils extend the spine for senior grades, and chief officers and chief executives are on separate JNC agreements with their own 2026 settlements.
Reading the spine
A full-time teaching assistant on SCP 5 earns £26,427; term-time contracts pro-rata that figure down, which is why advertised TA salaries look lower. A newly qualified social worker typically starts around SCP 23 to 26 (£35,570 to £38,510), and a team manager in the SCP 33 to 39 run earns £45,529 to £51,928.
The bottom of the spine is compressed: the gap from SCP 3 to SCP 4 is just £402. Each minimum wage rise squeezes it further, which is why the employers keep deleting bottom points (SCP 1 went in 2023, SCP 2 in 2026) and why unions argue the whole spine needs rebuilding from the bottom up.
Common questions
What is the local government pay rise for 2026?
3.3% on all NJC pay points and allowances from 1 April 2026, agreed between the employers and UNISON, GMB and Unite. Councils were asked to implement it as quickly as possible, backdated to April where it landed later.
What does SCP mean on my payslip?
Spine column point. The NJC 'Green Book' spine is a national ladder of pay points; your council attaches its own grades (such as Grade 4 or Scale 6) to a run of SCPs, so the same SCP pays the same everywhere but the grade names differ by council.
Why is there no SCP 2 any more?
SCP 2 was abolished from 1 April 2026 because the National Living Wage rise to £12.71 an hour would have overtaken it. The spine now starts at SCP 3 on £25,614.
Who is covered by NJC pay?
Around 1.4 million council and school support staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland: teaching assistants, refuse workers, social workers, librarians, admin staff and most other non-teaching council roles. Scotland has its own separate SJC spine. Chief executives and senior officers sit on separate national agreements.