The Prison Service Pay Review Body (PSPRB) has announced in its annual remuneration report that prison workers will receive a 3.5% pay rise.
Eligible governors and operational managers, prison officers and support grades in bands two to 11 across the prison service in England and Wales will receive the pay increase.
Staff in operational support grades in band two will receive the 3.5% increase in addition to the national living wage increase that has taken affect today. They will also continue to receive a temporary increase at 25% of base pay until the 2027 report has been published, and until a permanent approach to unsocial hours working has been agreed upon.
The award will be paid by the end of June and backdated to 1 April.
The Prison Officer’s Association (POA) stated that it wanted a 6.3% rise for staff at pay bands two to five to repair and correct years of real-terms losses, rebuild morale and support staff retention in its submission to the pay review body back in November.
The PSPRB report said: “Recruitment appears to have relied heavily on overseas applicants in recent years, and that given changes to the skilled worker visa rules, the Prison Service will not be able to rely as heavily on recruiting staff from overseas. Therefore, looking to the future, there needs to be a sustainable pipeline of applicants from the UK, especially given the level of vacancies and the planned expansion of the prison estate.”
Steve Gillan, general secretary of the POA, added: “A 3.5% increase in prison officer pay at a time when inflation is around 3% and we have a cost-of-living crisis is a kick in the teeth for members. The POA will redouble its campaigning efforts to ensure prison officers are valued and rewarded for the work our members do.”
Mark Fairhurst, national chair of the POA, said: “The rate of inflation during 2025 averaged 3.6% and this award will do little to raise the standard of living of members who are struggling with ever increasing energy, fuel and food costs.”
