As a Real Living Wage (RLW) Employer, the University introduced the Loughborough Real Living Wage (LRLW) supplement in April 2025 to support colleagues at the lower end of the pay scale, help deal with cost-of-living pressures and to maintain pay differentials. This included bringing forwards annual uplifts to this group to May, from August. The supplement sits outside the nationally agreed pay arrangements.
In May 2026, ahead of this pay award, colleagues on spine points 7-18 received an increase to the LRLW supplement.
Following confirmation of the national pay award, the University has reviewed the impact of the 2% increase on colleagues receiving the LRLW supplement and the value of the supplement will be adjusted where necessary. This is the same approach which was applied previously following the national pay award in August 2025.
As a result, colleagues on spine points 7 – 17 will continue to receive the same salary levels that were increased and confirmed in May 2026. The proportion of pay made up of basic salary and the LRLW has changed, but the total salary remains unchanged. Updated pay tables showing the revised salary breakdowns are available here.
The exception is spine point 18, where the new nationally agreed salary is now higher than the salary supported by the LRLW supplement. Colleagues on this spine point will therefore see a small increase in their overall salary, with the supplement no longer required.
The new Real Living Wage rates were announced recently, and we are currently reviewing what this may mean for future supplement values. We will work closely with our trade union colleagues to ensure any future changes are fair, sustainable and implemented from May 2027.