Salary Award 2021/22
The Salary Awards for 2021/22 were agreed on 1 December 2021 and you can expect to receive your backdated payment in your January pay.
Agreement has been reached on pay awards for employees whose terms and conditions of service come within the framework of the Scottish Joint Council for Local Government Employees. The details of the agreement are as follows:
- The agreement covers the period from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022.
- An increase in the Scottish Local Government Living Wage rate to £9.78 per hour.
- An £850 increase in salary for all those who earn £25,000 or less.
- A 2% increase for those earning more than £25,000 and up to £40,000.
- A 1% increase for those earning more than £40,000 and up to £80,000.
- An £800 flat rate increase in salary for all those earning over £80,000 annually.
There will also be a backdating of the implementation date of the pay increases for the 3 months from January to March 2021. (This increases the value of the flat rate increase from £850 to approximately £1,060 gross in the year 1 April 2021 – 31 March 2022. The actual amount will vary depending on hours worked and payroll cycles. As with all pay it will be subject to NI, tax and pension deductions.)
The pay award for Teaching Staff has yet to be agreed.
Backdated Pay and Universal Credit
Universal Credit Payments May Stop or Reduce
If you receive Universal Credit the amount you get changes if your take-home pay changes. This includes awards of backdated pay. If you get additional pay within a Universal Credit assessment period (month), your Universal Credit payment will either be less than you normally receive or your income may be too high to qualify for a payment.
Universal Credit is calculated on your personal circumstances. Because of this we, as your employer, do not know how, or if, you may be affected.
The 2021/22 Local Government pay settlement was agreed on 1 December 2021 and is scheduled to be in place and paid with a backdated award on 27 January 2022. This increase together with the backdated payment may mean you will either receive less Universal Credit than normal or you may even earn too much to qualify and your Universal Credit claim will close. If your claim closes, you will see a message on your UC Journal telling you about this.
Will Universal Credit Payments Start Again Automatically?
No. If Universal Credit payments stop because you have had additional pay, you must start up your claim again. You should do this as soon as you can to make sure you do not miss out.
How Do I Reclaim Universal Credit?
Log into your UC journal and select the “Reclaim” tab. You will find this at the bottom of the screen. This will take you to a new screen where you will be asked to answer a few simple questions. If you have any problems doing this, contact your Work Coach or visit your local Jobcentre Plus.
You can get help and advice about Universal Credit on 0800 328 5644
You can access your UC Journal at www.gov.uk/sign-in-universal-credit
An overview of Universal Credit can be found at www.gov.uk/universal-credit