Last updated: 9 October 2026 at 11.58pm BST.
In short
- The University of Sussex says the national 2% pay uplift will appear in October salaries.
- The increase applies to employees on all points of the national pay spine.
- October pay should also include arrears backdated to 1 August 2026.
- The national dispute process ended without agreement on a higher uplift.
- Staff should check both their revised basic pay and the separate backdated amount on their October payslip.
University of Sussex employees on the national pay spine are due to receive a 2% increase in their October salary, together with backdated payments covering the period from 1 August.
The university confirmed the implementation on Friday 9 October after the Universities and Colleges Employers Association, known as UCEA, advised represented institutions to apply the 2026–27 uplift as soon as possible.
What the University of Sussex pay rise includes
In its 9 October staff update, the university said its HR team was taking steps to include the 2% rise in October pay. It applies to employees on every point of the national pay spine.
The stated effective date is 1 August 2026. That means eligible staff should receive the revised monthly rate and arrears for the period since the increase was due to begin.
The university had previously said in July that it could not apply the rise while the national dispute procedure continued. The October announcement therefore provides a firm payment timetable after a delay of more than two months.
Why the national pay dispute still matters
UCEA said on 2 October that the 2026–27 negotiating round had concluded without resolving the disagreement with the five higher-education unions. It then advised universities to implement the 2% uplift.
The pay increase was not accepted by the unions. In a consultative ballot, 69.3% of participating UCU members rejected the 2% offer, with a turnout of 30.4%. UCU’s Higher Education Committee was due to consider next steps on 9 October.
UCEA also says employers and unions have begun a joint review of the national pay spine, which has not been fundamentally reviewed for more than 20 years. Any new structure would be implemented no earlier than 1 August 2027 and remains subject to consultation.
What Sussex staff should check
- Basic pay: compare the October rate with the previous month and confirm the 2% uplift has been applied to the correct spine point.
- Arrears: look for a backdated payment covering the period from 1 August. The exact amount will depend on salary, hours and employment dates.
- Deductions: the gross arrears will still be subject to the usual tax, National Insurance and pension deductions.
- Different arrangements: staff who are not paid on the national spine should not assume the same calculation applies and should check their contract or HR guidance.
- If something is missing: keep the October and September payslips together and contact the university’s HR or payroll service with the relevant employee details.
Why it matters locally
The University of Sussex is one of Brighton and Hove’s major employers, so the payment affects household budgets across the city and the wider Sussex area. For eligible staff, the immediate benefit is not only a higher monthly rate but a lump sum covering the delayed August and September increase.
The update also separates two issues that can easily be confused: implementation of the 2% uplift is now confirmed locally, while the unions’ wider concerns about pay and the structure of the national spine remain unresolved.
Brighton Locals’ view
Getting the delayed increase and arrears into October pay is welcome practical certainty for staff. But it should not be described as a negotiated settlement: the dispute process failed to secure agreement, and a clear majority of participating UCU members rejected the offer. The next meaningful test is whether the promised pay-spine review produces a credible, affordable structure rather than another long delay.
What to watch next
Staff should watch for UCU’s decision on further action and for details of the national pay-spine review. Locally, the key evidence will be whether October payslips show both the new rate and the correct arrears without widespread payroll errors.
Bottom line
Eligible University of Sussex staff should see a 2% rise and backdated pay in October, but the national argument over university pay is not over.
Image: University of Sussex entrance sign at Falmer, photographed on 2 January 2019. Photo by Moonbeam 7 98 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Archive photograph.
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