NHS Back Pay Calculator
How much pay award arrears you are owed, before and after tax.
Your details
From April to the month before the new rate starts.
Leave at 0 to use your salary less the 3.3% award.
Back pay before tax
£426.92
About £241.84 after tax, NI and pension
- Old full-time salary
- £31,048
- New full-time salary
- £32,073
- Extra per month (your hours)
- £85.38
- Arrears for 5 months
- £426.92
The after-tax figure is an estimate, as arrears are taxed with your normal pay in the month they are paid.
How it is worked out
- 1Back pay is the gap between your old salary and the new one, for every month the award should already have been paid.
- 2We take your current pay point and work back to last year's figure using the headline award, so the two always line up.
- 3The arrears are taxed in the month they are paid, alongside your normal salary, so the after-tax figure is an estimate.
Worth knowing
- Overtime, unsocial hours and on-call payments made at the old rate are usually topped up too. They are not included here.
- If you changed band or pay point during the year, enter your old salary yourself for an exact figure.
Common questions
When is NHS back pay paid?+
Usually in the first or second payroll run after the new rates are put in place. Your payslip shows it as arrears.
Why is my back pay taxed so heavily?+
It is added to one month's pay, which can push part of it into a higher tax or pension band for that month. Tax usually evens out over the year.
Sources
The rules and figures behind this calculator come from:
- NHS Employers: Agenda for Change pay scales 2026/27
- GOV.UK: NHS Pay Review Body
- GOV.UK: Income Tax rates and Personal Allowances
- GOV.UK: National Insurance rates and categories
Results are estimates for Agenda for Change staff in England using 2026/27 figures. They are not financial advice. Your payslip, employer or NHS Pensions statement has the final word.
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