Prison Workforce

David Lammy Excerpts

Thursday 26th March 2026 Written Statements

[The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (Mr David Lammy)]

I am today confirming the Government’s decision on the pay award for prison staff.

Prison service pay award 2026-27

Having carefully considered the 12 recommendations made by the Prison Service Pay Review Body for the 2026-27 pay award, I can announce that we are accepting in full the recommendations made by the PSPRB for all staff within its remit.

Prison service staff are some of our finest public servants. The role that prison staff play in keeping communities safe and supporting rehabilitation is crucial. Accepting these recommendations in full reflects our commitment to ensure that prison staff are able to continue delivering this essential frontline service. This also recognises the unwavering dedication of our prison staff, whose work is largely out of view of the public, but is vital for those under their care and to keep the public safe.

The award will deliver a pay rise of at least 3.5% of base pay for all eligible prison staff between operational support grade and governors—bands 2 to 11—with a targeted focus on the lowest paid.

The award delivers headline pay increases of:

3.5% for prison officer grades (bands 3 to 5)

3.5% for managerial and prison governor grades (bands 7 to 12)

3.5% increase for operational support grades (band 2), in addition to the national living wage increase that band 2 staff received from 1 April 2026. Operational support grades will continue to receive a temporary increase at 25% of base pay until publication of the 2027 report. This is while we finalise work to agree an appropriate permanent approach to unsocial hours working, noting however that the departmental and Government budgets and affordability position for the coming years are not yet known.

This pay award will be paid by the end of June, and will be backdated to 1 April 2026.

Against a backdrop of tight public finances, the Government have had to make tough choices across public spending. Within this context, the Ministry of Justice will fund this award from existing budgets and will require continued prioritisation across the Department’s spending plans.

This Government recognise the essential role played by the more than 6 million public sector workers across the UK, who provide the public services we all rely upon. Accepting the PSPRB’s recommendations is expected to further stabilise the recruitment and retention position in the prison service. This is vital to ensure that prisons have the staff they need to deal with an increasing population and ageing estate.

I would like to thank the PSPRB for their valuable advice and response to the Government’s evidence.

The report has been laid before Parliament today. I am grateful to the chair and members of the review body for their report.

[HCWS1463]