Dear Members,
NCA Pay Award 26/27 – Remit Letter
The publication of the recent NCA Remuneration Review Body (NCARRB) remit letter starts the 2026/27 pay cycle. The NCOA are due to give oral evidence to the NCARRB in early March 2026 and therefore anticipate that written evidence will be required by late January.
As in previous years the NCARRB are planning to visit NCA sites as well as taking evidence from NCA Officers in virtual sessions. Members can anticipate that the NCOA will provide robust evidence in support of an above inflation pay uplift for all its members. I encourage NCOA members to apply to be involved in the officer engagement sessions with the NCARRB and provide some real-life examples of the pressures, frustrations and financial challenges you face on a day-to-day basis.
At this stage it is unclear what the HM Government public sector pay guidance for next year will be; we will no doubt get more information in the Chancellor’s budget speech. The remit latter is very clear that the NCA pay awards will need to be met from existing budgets.
The remit letter also gives a clear steer that the much-needed structural change in the NCA pay mechanisms, (if approved by HM Treasury) will take place outside of the NCARRB process. The NCOA continues to challenge the NCA to provide more information to itself and our members on what the NCA plans for Pay and associated Contract Reform are. Whatever the outcome of any discussions, we have been clear that no agreements will be reached with the NCOA without the strong support of our members which will be established by way of a ballot.
It is worthy of note that the Security Minister’s remit letter asks that the NCARRB specifically consider the current pay differential between the NCA and Policing counterparts, perhaps this is with future police reform in mind.
A copy of the 2026/27 remit letter can be found at ; https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-crime-agency-remuneration-and-review-body-remit-2026-to-2027.
Regards,
Steve Bond
General Secretary, NCOA.