NHS Pension Increase by Year, 2010 to 2027, with CPI

If you draw an NHS pension, this is the history of what happened to it every April since 2010: the percentage, the CPI rate behind it, and what a pension of £10,000 would have become. It is for retired members, and for anyone near retirement who wants to see how well the yearly increase has kept pace with prices. The April 2027 row follows the same status model as our main NHS pension increase page, so it updates when the figure is published.

NHS pension increase by year, 2010 to 2027

Each row is the increase for a pension that had been in payment for a full year. The last column shows what a pension of £10,000 in payment before April 2010 becomes if it is increased in full each time.

The 2010 to 2013 percentages are from the Treasury's Pensions Increase (Review) Orders, which are cited in the Source column, and from the Scottish Public Pensions Agency circular for 2010. 2014 onwards are from gov.uk's yearly covering notes. September CPI is the ONS annual rate for that month. Dates are those published for public service pensions generally, and NHSBSA applies the increase from the first Monday after 5 April.

How the yearly NHS pension increase is set

Every year pensions in payment are reviewed by HM Treasury. NHSBSA's 2026 pensioner newsletter calls this the annual Pensions Increase, based on the rise in the Consumer Prices Index in the 12 months ending 30 September, and says it starts on the first Monday after 5 April. The same increase applies across public service pensions, and gov.uk publishes a covering note for each year in its Public service pensions increases collection.

That is why the "September CPI before" column and the "Increase" column match from 2011 onwards. The only differences are where CPI was negative, when the Government does not cut pensions: NHSBSA's pensions increase FAQ says that if the cost of living has gone down your pension is not reduced and continues at the same rate. It is also why you cannot tell the April figure in advance: it depends on a September inflation figure that the ONS publishes in October. For how the process works this year, see the NHS pension increase for April 2027.

The years that stand out

• 2023: 10.1%. The largest rise in the series, following September 2022 CPI. It was applied from 10 April 2023.
• 2024: 6.7% and 2012: 5.2%. The next largest. Together with 2023 they account for most of the growth in the last column of the table.
• 2010 and 2016: no increase. In 2010 the Treasury still used RPI, and RPI for the 12 months to September 2009 was minus 1.4%. In 2016 CPI fell 0.1% in the year to September 2015. In both years pensions stayed at their cash level.
• 2021: 0.5%. The smallest positive rise, followed a year later by 3.1% and then the 2023 jump.

Across the 17 Aprils from 2010 to 2026, 15 had an increase. A pension in payment since before April 2010 and increased in full each time would be up 60.4% in total, an average of about 2.8% a year including the two zero years.

What a pension became: three examples

These use the same compounding as the table, on a full-year pension that was in payment before April 2010. They show the arithmetic of the increases only.

Remember the increase is part of your pension, so it is taxable. What it leaves you after tax depends on your whole income, which our NHS pensioner net income calculator works out.

Why your own rise can differ from the table

The table is for a pension that has been in payment for a full year, and it shows the headline percentage. Three things commonly change what you actually receive, and NHSBSA sets all three out in its pensioner newsletter and Pensions Increase FAQ.

• A pension that started in the last year. gov.uk says a pension in payment for less than a year is increased by a proportionate amount depending on the number of months. For 2026, NHSBSA said you could get a lower percentage if your pension started after 21 April 2025 and no increase if it started after 21 March 2026.
• Guaranteed Minimum Pension. If you retired after 1978 and receive a State Pension, GMP rules mean you may not get the full increase on your NHS pension, with the shortfall offset by a proportional increase in your State Pension.
• Age. NHSBSA says your pension normally increases if you are over 55, or have an ill health, adult dependant's or child's pension.

The increase by pension amount table shows the pounds each rate adds to pensions from £5,000 to £40,000, and the estimator on our April 2027 page handles the part-year case.

April 2027