Northern Ireland has confirmed the 2025–26 revaluation figures for public service pension schemes. The Department of Finance’s Statutory Rule 2026 No. 46, made on 10 March 2026, sets a 3.8% price measure and a 4.8% earnings measure for the period 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026. The order generally takes effect on 1 April 2026, with a 6 April start for the Local Government Pension Scheme (NI) and the Health and Social Care scheme.

These factors are used to uprate career average (CARE) pension pots within schemes covered by the Public Service Pensions Act (Northern Ireland) 2014. Where a scheme revalues by prices, the 3.8% figure applies; where it revalues by earnings, the 4.8% figure applies. This is separate from the uprating of pensions already in payment.

The Department of Finance notes that the 3.8% price change is based on the Consumer Prices Index published by the ONS to September 2025, while the 4.8% earnings change is based on Average Weekly Earnings to September 2025. In short, wage growth outpaced inflation over the reference period by around one percentage point.

For an individual member in a price‑linked CARE scheme, a £10,000 accrued slice from earlier years would be increased to £10,380 at the start of April. In an earnings‑linked scheme, the same slice would rise to £10,480. The adjustment compounds year on year, so small percentage gaps can add up over a decade.

For public sector finance leads, the immediate cash impact is limited, but liabilities rise in step with the revaluation factor used by each scheme. That feeds into future actuarial valuations and, in time, employer contribution rates. Bodies preparing 2026–27 budgets should reflect the updated accrual values from April and ensure payroll and HR systems apply the correct date.

The split commencement date matters operationally. Most schemes will apply the new factors from 1 April 2026, but the Local Government Pension Scheme (NI) and Health and Social Care scheme apply them from 6 April 2026, as set out explicitly in the order. Teams should align communications and statements to the relevant start date.

For workers, the gap between 4.8% earnings growth and 3.8% inflation suggests that, where schemes use an earnings link, the real value of recent CARE accrual is nudging higher. Where schemes use prices, the uplift broadly preserves purchasing power. Either way, the update keeps accruals closer to economic reality than a flat nominal figure would.

Investors and suppliers into Northern Ireland’s public services should read this as a gradual pressure on long‑run pension costs rather than a near‑term shock. The order does not change salary levels or headline tax policy; it sets the technical uprating used inside the pension formula. Any contribution changes would flow only after the next valuation cycles.

All figures and timings are drawn from the Department of Finance (Northern Ireland) Public Service Pensions Revaluation Order 2026. Members should look out for scheme‑specific notices explaining exactly how their benefits are revalued and the date the change appears on their annual statement.