Heather Wheeler – 2022 Statement on Pay for the Senior Civil Service
The statement made by Heather Wheeler, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet Office, in the House of Commons on 19 July 2022.
I am today announcing the Government’s decision on pay for the Senior Civil Service.
The Government received the Senior Salary Review Body’s (SSRB) 2022 report on 28 June 2022. This will be presented to Parliament and published on www.gov.uk.
The Government value the independent expertise and insight of the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) and take on board the advice and principles in relation to the Government’s recommendations. The Government partially accept the SSRB’s recommendations for 2022. In reaching this decision, the Government have carefully considered the need to maintain an effective senior civil service, affordability and fairness between senior pay and the delegated pay award of 3% set out in the pay remit guidance.
SSRB recommendations set a 3.5% pay award with money allocated in the following priority order:
An across-the-board increase for all senior civil servants of 3% from 1 April 2022.
Increasing the pay band minimums from:
SCS pay band 1: £71,000 to £73,000
SCS pay band 2: £93,000 to £95,000
SCS pay band 3: £120,000 to £125,000
A further 0.5% to address pay anomalies.
The Government’s responses to each of the SSRB’s recommendations are as follows:
The overall figure should be limited to an across the board 2% increase in line with the lower end figure contained in the delegated pay remit guidance.
The Government accept the recommendation to increase the pay band minimums.
The recommendation of the anomalies pot is partially accepted and will be increased from 0.5% to 1%.
Pay awards this year strike a careful balance between recognising the vital importance of public sector workers, while delivering value for the taxpayer, not increasing the country’s debt further, and being careful not to drive even higher prices in the future. Public sector workers benefit from some of the most generous pensions available. Sustained higher levels of inflation would have a far bigger impact on people’s real incomes in the long run than the proportionate and balanced pay increase set out.
