2021 Home Office Pay Update

Home Office issue pay offer after just one meeting

Insulting pay freeze for the majority of staff is rejected by PCS who call for negotiations to continue over a business case that would deliver tangible benefits for our members.

As previously reported PCS submitted a pay claim in March setting out that we wanted to explore a sectoral pay deal this year to harmonise pay across the Home Office including Arm’s Length Bodies (ALB’s) ensuring pay uplifts for everyone.

Despite these NDPBs needing to go to the Home Office each year for authorisation of their pay plans, they operate separate bargaining and have separate scales. In fact, in every grade there is divergence at the bottom of the salary band and the top.

Even though PCS have been pressing for information and talks since we submitted our claim in March the first and only formal meeting to date with the Home Office took place on 10 August. After just this one meeting Home Office have now issued a pay offer sticking rigidly to the governments insulting pay freeze, whereby only staff whose full time equivalent salary is £24,000 or less will be given a £250 uplift.

As the settlement date of 1 July has already passed we are not seeking to delay the £250 being paid to staff who qualify in AA and AO grades. But PCS does not accept this £250 is enough nor do we accept there should be a pay freeze for the vast majority of our members. Our position remains that negotiations need to continue building a business case which will deliver tangible benefits for our members.

Members will be aware that inflation is rising, currently at 2% and predicted to hit 4%. With predicted increases to utility bills and transport costs, a pay freeze will mean real terms decrease and a squeeze on living conditions.

We are planning to set up a number of members’ meetings about Pay during September to inform you of where talks are up to and seek your views on next steps. Further details will follow advertising these meetings.

If you’re not already a PCS member – join on-line today. If you are interested in getting more involved speak to your local reps.

James Cox (Group President), Pete Wright (Group Vice-President), Mike Jones (Group Secretary)