Terms & Conditions

[Peter Barker]

My take on this is that the non-consolidated 2% award can be regarded as a one-off and not paid in respect of any longer past period. The amount is determined by reference to the employee’s rate of pay during 2022/23, but that’s not the same thing as saying it is a payment for 2022/23. I’m not saying it would be incorrect to attribute it to the 2022/23 year, but the Regs give us flexibility and I think the “one-off” approach can be justified.

The backlog “thank-you” (described as a “tiered cash payment” I believe) is even less associated with any period and is even more a one-off.

If these two one-off payments cause the claimant to float off HB for one month, and s/he is not otherwise inclined to claim UC just yet, deal with it after the event as a closed period supersession.

As I understand it, the consolidated 2022/23 increase was paid last September and no further arrears are due in respect of that increase. The amounts being paid now are:

– consolidated pay rise for 23/24, with back pay to April (broken down across all the different shift and car user allowances – there is more than one arrears line I think)
– the 2% non-consolidated bonus
– the backlog “thank-you” tiered cash payment

While you might think “well I’m a public sector worker whose pay has fallen behind for years and years, where is my no-strings free bonus?”, I would say that the health workers on HB don’t get paid a lot, the hourly rate in the example I saw last week was barely above the minimum wage and she was clinical staff too. I think it would be nice to try and cut them some slack, and the one-off bonus temporary float-off approach would enable some of the payment to escape the clutches of the HB taper.