Government to give 900,000 key workers pay rises after coronavirus efforts - including teachers and police

21 July 2020, 07:07 | Updated: 21 July 2020, 07:31

By Naomi Bartram

@naomibartram

What are the new NHS and key worker pay rises and who will get them? Here’s what we know… 

Teachers, police officers and nurses are all set to receive pay rises due to their efforts during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Boris Johnson has announced that 900,000 public sector workers across seven different workforces will get the bonuses.

The salary increases will be up to 3.1% in 2020/21, which will take the average salary for a full-time public sector worker to £31,844 - which is £2,000 more than those in the private sector.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has praised the ‘vital contribution’ frontline workers have made to the country during the Covid-19 outbreak.

He said on Monday evening: “These past months have underlined what we always knew – that our public sector workers make a vital contribution to our country and that we can rely on them when we need them.

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“It’s right therefore that we follow the recommendations of the independent pay bodies with this set of real-terms pay rises.”

But what exactly are the pay rises for key workers? And when will they come into place? 

Boris Johnson announces that businesses can bring workers back to the office from August 1

What are the new pay rises and who will receive them?

School teachers will get the highest rise of 3.1%.

Doctors and dentists are receiving 2.8%.

Police, prison officers and National Crime Agency staff will be given a 2.5% rise.

The Armed Forces get a 2% rise.

Judges and senior civil servants will receive a 2% rise.

Are nurses getting a pay rise in 2021?

Nurses are not included in the pay award as they successfully negotiated a new pay deal in 2018, which secured a three-year increase worth 6.5%.

Nurses will get an average 4.4% pay rise this year under that deal.

When will the pay rises come into place? 

The pay increases for the armed forces, prison officers, senior civil servants and NHS staff will be backdated to April.

Meanwhile, for police and teachers it will start in September as they work on a different pay schedule which runs from September to August.

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