Educational Psychologist Payslip Explained 2026/27: Pay, Tax & Pension

The Soulbury Scale A: how it governs educational psychologist pay

The Soulbury Committee is a national negotiating body that sets pay and conditions for a range of education professionals employed by local authorities, including educational psychologists (EPs), education improvement professionals, and young people's service managers. Its pay awards are agreed between the employers' side (the Local Government Association) and the staff side (the trade unions including the Association of Educational Psychologists, NEU and UNISON). The resulting circular, issued as a Joint Education Services Circular (JESC), is the definitive authority on Soulbury pay.

Educational psychologists are paid on Scale A. The scale currently runs from point 4 as the entry point for a qualified EP (points 1 to 3 are being phased out under recent structural changes). The current definitive scale values are published in the Joint Education Services Circular (JESC) issued after each Soulbury award. The Association of Educational Psychologists publishes these circulars at aep.org.uk - that is the authoritative source for exact current-year pound values. For context, Scale A point 4 has been in the region of £49,000 to £51,000 and point 14 in the region of £65,000 to £68,000 after recent awards, but these are approximate and must be verified against the current JESC rather than treated as precise or settled figures.

Pay progression on Scale A is typically one point per year on the anniversary of joining the scale, subject to satisfactory performance review. Most LAs follow this, but some apply competency-based progression. On top of the scale, up to three Structured Professional Assessment (SPA) points can be awarded. SPA points are not an extension of the top of the scale - they are additional points that can be accessed at any time once the criteria are met, even from a mid-scale position. The criteria are set locally by each LA but typically require evidence of sustained contribution to service development, research or leadership. SPA 1, 2 and 3 each carry a defined salary increment above the EP's current scale point, so an EP on Scale A point 8 awarded SPA 1 would move to a rate above point 8, not to the maximum of the scale.

Senior and principal educational psychologists are paid on Scale B, which starts at the same level as Scale A point 5 and extends higher. Principal EPs may also be paid on a negotiated spot salary. If you have been promoted to a senior or principal EP post, confirm whether your contract references Scale A or Scale B and that the payslip basic pay reflects the correct scale and point.

What a educational psychologist payslip looks like

An LA educational psychologist payslip typically comes from the council's central payroll system - iTrent, ResourceLink or Oracle HR are common platforms. The payments block shows a basic pay line reflecting the annual Scale A salary divided by 12. If SPA points have been awarded, they are usually incorporated into the basic pay line rather than appearing separately, because the SPA award restructures the salary at the new combined point. Some LAs show the base scale pay and the SPA element as two separate lines; check with your HR team which format your employer uses.

Additional payments that might appear separately include a market supplement (some LAs in high-cost areas pay above the Soulbury minimum to recruit), an essential car user allowance if your role involves regular travel to schools and settings, and occasionally an on-call or duty-EP payment if you cover emergency EP referrals. Each should have its own line with a clear label.

The deductions block shows PAYE income tax, Class 1 NI, the LGPS contribution at the banded rate for your pensionable pay, and any voluntary deductions such as union subscription or salary sacrifice. At Scale A earnings following recent Soulbury awards, many EPs fall in the LGPS 6.8 percent band (pensionable pay between £47,301 and £59,800). EPs with SPA points, or those near the top of Scale A, may cross into the 8.5 percent band above £59,800. Scale B senior and principal EPs may be higher still. The exact band thresholds are reviewed every April in line with CPI - check the current year at lgpsmember.org rather than relying on any prior-year figure.

The HCPC registration fee does not normally appear on the payslip because most EPs pay it directly to HCPC rather than through payroll. The current fee (from April 2025) is £246.68 for a two-year registration period (£123.34 per year). If your employer pays it on your behalf it would appear as a non-taxable benefit; if you pay it yourself, it qualifies for tax relief as a professional expense under section 344 of ITEPA 2003 - claim it through HMRC if you have not already done so.

Educational Psychologist pay bands (UK 2026/27)

Gross figures reflect typical national pay-scale and ONS ASHE 2024 levels. Net figures are a simplified estimate using 2026/27 PAYE bands and a 5% pension assumption. Your real pension rate and tax code may differ - see the pension section below.

Band	Gross / year	Net / year	Net / month
Lower (25th percentile)	£49,500	£36,997	£3,083
Median	£55,000	£40,256	£3,355
Upper (75th percentile)	£65,000	£46,056	£3,838

Pay and additions on a educational psychologist payslip

Basic pay (Soulbury Scale A point)September is the key date. The Soulbury award takes effect from 1 September each year, so the October payslip should be the first to show the new rate. If November arrives and the basic pay line has not moved, check the current-year JESC circular (available at aep.org.uk) for the correct point value and contact your HR team with that figure in writing.
Structured Professional Assessment (SPA) pointsOnce awarded, SPA points are contractual and do not expire or reset when a new Soulbury award arrives - the increment sits on top of whatever scale point you hold at the time of the award. Each SPA point adds a defined cash increment; the total of your scale pay and any SPA points forms the basic pay figure on your payslip. If a SPA award has been confirmed by your LA but the salary has not changed, raise it with payroll directly and attach the written confirmation of the award.
Market supplement or recruitment and retention paymentLondon and some other high-demand LA services pay a spot supplement on top of Soulbury rates. The common error here is at the boundaries: a fixed-term supplement continuing after its review date, or a supplement ceasing mid-year without warning. Check whether yours was agreed for a fixed term or is subject to annual review, and query any unexplained disappearance or continuation in writing.
Essential car user allowanceEPs travel regularly between schools, settings and families, and most receive an essential car user allowance - a fixed annual amount (divided by 12 on the payslip) plus a mileage rate for actual journeys. The fixed allowance is taxable; reimbursed mileage at or below the HMRC approved rate (45p per mile, first 10,000 miles) is not. Check that both elements appear on your payslip correctly.
Duty EP or emergency on-call paymentSome LA services operate a duty EP rota for crisis referrals or urgent school requests. If a standby availability allowance or call-out payment is part of your role, it should appear as a separate line. Confirm the rate against your local EP service protocol and raise any missing periods with your line manager.
Sick pay and parental payLA terms and conditions provide occupational sick pay on a service-related basis under the NJC Green Book provisions (which apply to local authority EPs even though pay is on the Soulbury scale). Check your contract for the exact sick-pay entitlement. During half-pay periods, your LGPS contribution reduces proportionately, but membership continues.

LGPS for educational psychologists: CARE benefits, banded contributions and the April reset

Local authority educational psychologists are members of the LGPS, the career-average revalued earnings defined-benefit scheme. Each year you build up 1/49th of your pensionable pay for that year as pension entitlement. That entitlement is revalued annually by inflation (CPI) until you draw it. The EP's pensionable pay includes basic pay and, depending on local agreement, any market supplement and the fixed element of any car allowance - confirm the pensionable elements with your LA pension fund.

Employee contribution rates for 2026/27, from the official lgpsmember.org table, are: 5.5 percent up to £18,400; 5.8 percent from £18,401 to £29,000; 6.5 percent from £29,001 to £47,300; 6.8 percent from £47,301 to £59,800; 8.5 percent from £59,801 to £84,000; and higher rates above that. An EP on Scale A point 7 (at approximately £56,000 to £58,000 in 2025/26 after the 3.2 percent award) would be in the 6.8 percent band. An EP near the top of Scale A or holding SPA points that bring total pensionable pay above £59,800 would be in the 8.5 percent band. These thresholds change in April each year in line with CPI, so check the current circular from lgpsmember.org rather than relying on prior-year figures.

The SPA point mechanism can produce unexpected LGPS band crossings. When SPA 1 is awarded, if the combined salary crosses a contribution threshold, the contribution percentage rises from the following payroll run. Employees sometimes interpret the higher deduction as a payroll error. It is not - it is a correct response to higher pensionable pay. Similarly, the LGPS also offers a 50/50 section (half contributions, half accrual) and allows Additional Voluntary Contributions. Any changes to your contribution arrangement should be agreed directly with your pension fund rather than via payroll alone.

Deductions on a educational psychologist payslip

PAYE income tax. On the standard 1257L code for most EPs. An EP near the upper end of Scale A (around £65,000 to £68,000 in 2025/26) will pay the higher rate of income tax at 40 percent on earnings above approximately £50,270 (above the personal allowance and basic-rate band combined for 2026/27). Check whether the W1 suffix appears after the code number - if it does and your employment is continuous, contact HMRC to ensure the cumulative basis is applied.
Class 1 employee National Insurance. 8 percent between the primary threshold and the upper earnings limit, then 2 percent above. An EP at the top of Scale A will pay 2 percent on earnings above the upper earnings limit of approximately £50,270 a year. This is a modest additional deduction but worth understanding so that it does not appear as an unexplained line.
LGPS employee contribution. At the banded rate for actual pensionable pay, reviewed every April. Confirm the rate applied in your April payslip against the current-year lgpsmember.org table. If the rate has not been updated after a September Soulbury award that moved you into a higher band, contact payroll - an underpayment will need to be corrected.
HCPC registration fee (if paid through payroll). Most EPs pay the HCPC fee of £246.68 per two-year cycle directly to HCPC. If your LA pays it on your behalf through payroll it should appear as a reimbursement or a benefit-in-kind adjustment, not as a deduction from you. If you pay personally, claim tax relief through your HMRC account as a professional expense.
AEP or union subscription. The Association of Educational Psychologists is the specialist trade union and professional body for EPs. Subscriptions may be deducted at source. Confirm whether the AEP subscription qualifies for tax relief on the current HMRC approved list under section 344 of ITEPA 2003 - professional body subscriptions related to employment conditions typically qualify.
Salary sacrifice or AVC. LAs commonly offer salary sacrifice for additional pension (Additional Voluntary Contributions through the LGPS AVC provider, typically Prudential or Legal and General), cycle-to-work and electric vehicle leasing. These reduce gross pay before tax and NI. A sacrifice that reduces pensionable pay may affect the LGPS contribution band; check with your pension fund.

Common educational psychologist payslip errors

The mistakes that genuinely show up on this role's payslips, and how to spot them.

September Soulbury award not applied until much laterThe Soulbury award is effective from 1 September each year. Some LAs take several months to implement the new rates, particularly when the award is agreed late. The first payslip from October should show the new salary; if it does not arrive until February, three months of back-pay should accompany it. If you suspect the award has been applied but at the wrong scale point, request a written pay calculation from HR showing the scale point and the JESC circular number.

SPA points not reflected in pay after formal awardSPA awards follow a formal application and assessment process. Once an award is made by the LA, it should be reflected in the next available payroll run. Delays in payroll notification are common - HR confirms the award but payroll is not informed in time. Keep written confirmation of the award date and raise it with payroll directly if the salary does not change in the expected month.

LGPS contribution rate not revised after September pay awardThe September Soulbury award increases pensionable pay and may push an EP into a higher LGPS band. However, LGPS bands are set in April and held for the year - the mid-year salary increase does not automatically trigger a band review until the following April unless the pension fund operates a mid-year re-banding policy. Check whether your fund re-bands mid-year and, if not, whether a correction is applied retrospectively in April.

Higher-rate income tax threshold not recognised after a promotionAn EP promoted to senior or principal level, or awarded multiple SPA points, may cross the higher-rate threshold. Payroll should update the tax calculation automatically as earnings change. If you notice your effective tax rate looks unchanged despite a large pay increase, check the year-to-date tax figure against a basic-rate versus higher-rate calculation for your total pay.

Scale A point reset to bottom on transfer between LAsMoving from one LA to another does not automatically carry your Scale A point. The receiving LA is free to place you at any point on Scale A, though in practice most will recognise experience and negotiate a matching or nearby point. This is a genuine risk that a transferring EP should negotiate explicitly before accepting the offer - once placed on a lower point, it can take several years of increments to recover the position.

HCPC fee paid through payroll without tax relief being appliedA small number of LAs deduct the HCPC fee from net pay as a payroll deduction, rather than treating it as a reimbursable professional expense. If you pay the HCPC fee from net pay without receiving either employer reimbursement or a tax-code adjustment, you may be able to claim the tax relief through HMRC retrospectively. Check whether your employer reimburses the fee or whether you need to claim directly.

Car allowance treated as non-pensionable when it should be includedThe essential car user allowance for EPs is treated differently by different LGPS funds. Some funds include the fixed element of the allowance in pensionable pay; others do not. If your fund includes it, LGPS contributions should be taken on the full amount. If the contribution is not being taken on the allowance but the fund rules say it should be, the underpayment will need to be corrected with interest.

Your educational psychologist payslip checklist

1.Confirm the Soulbury Scale A point on your payslip matches your contract and the current-year JESC circular (aep.org.uk)
2.Check that basic pay equals the annual Scale A value at your point divided by 12
3.If SPA points have been awarded, verify the salary reflects the correct post-SPA value
4.Confirm the LGPS contribution rate against the 2026/27 band table for your actual pensionable pay
5.Check whether the September Soulbury award was applied in October and, if not, that backpay has arrived
6.Verify your tax code and check for the higher-rate threshold if your salary is above approximately £50,270
7.Confirm the HCPC fee is either being reimbursed or that you have claimed tax relief on it personally
8.Check whether any market supplement or car allowance is being treated correctly as pensionable or non-pensionable
9.Contact the AEP or your HR team for a written explanation of any payslip line you cannot reconcile

A worked example for an EP on Scale A point 7 with one SPA point

The definitive source for current Scale A values is the Joint Education Services Circular (JESC) published by the Soulbury Committee after each award, available from the Association of Educational Psychologists at aep.org.uk. Look for the most recent Soulbury circular on the AEP website - it sets out every scale point in pounds for the current award year. The figures used in the illustration below are reconstructed estimates based on publicly available pre-2026 data and a subsequent percentage uplift; they are not drawn from a verified 2026/27 circular and must be treated as approximate only. Before acting on any figure, check the current circular.

For illustration: an EP on Scale A point 7 with one SPA point might have a combined annual salary in the region of £59,000 to £62,000 after recent Soulbury awards (check aep.org.uk for the exact figure). At around £60,000 annual pensionable pay, the LGPS band for 2026/27 is 8.5 percent (the 8.5 percent band begins at £59,801; verify at lgpsmember.org). On a monthly gross of approximately £5,000, the LGPS deduction would be around £425. Because LGPS is a net-pay arrangement, taxable income for income tax purposes is roughly £4,575 (gross minus pension), but NI is calculated on the full gross of £5,000. At the 1257L code, the monthly personal allowance is £1,048; earnings from £1,048 to £4,189 attract 20 percent basic rate tax (approximately £628); the band above £4,189 attracts 40 percent higher rate tax (approximately £154 on the £386 above the threshold). Total estimated tax for the month is approximately £780 to £790. Employee NI at 8 percent between the primary threshold and the upper earnings limit, then 2 percent above, gives approximately £265 to £270. Estimated net take-home is in the region of £3,500 to £3,540. These are illustrative reconstructions only, rounded for clarity, not a quote or a guarantee.

The LGPS band crossing is the detail most EPs miss. An EP on Scale A point 7 without SPA points, with pensionable pay below £59,800, would have been in the 6.8 percent band. When SPA 1 tips total pensionable pay above £59,800, the rate shifts to 8.5 percent - an increase of 1.7 percentage points applied to all pensionable pay, adding roughly £80 to £90 per month to the pension deduction. That is a permanent and correct change, not a payroll error. Use the free PayslipIQ checker alongside the current AEP Soulbury circular to sense-check your own position, and verify all figures with your LA payroll team before drawing any conclusions.

Educational Psychologist payslip questions

What is the Soulbury Scale A and how is it different from other education pay scales?

Soulbury Scale A is the pay scale for educational psychologists employed by local authorities, set by the Soulbury Committee rather than by any of the more widely known frameworks such as Agenda for Change, NJC Green Book or STPCD. It is specific to the EP profession and a small number of related LA education roles. Pay awards are negotiated nationally between the Local Government Association and the staff-side unions and take effect from 1 September each year.

What are SPA points and when can I get them?

Structured Professional Assessment points are salary additions awarded on top of the Scale A position in recognition of sustained professional contribution, development work or service leadership. You can apply for up to three SPA points at any point in your career - they are not limited to the top of the scale. The criteria are set locally by your LA. Once awarded, SPA points are contractual and do not lapse unless you leave the service or are placed on a different pay structure.

Why is my LGPS contribution higher than it was last year?

Either your pensionable pay has crossed an LGPS band threshold, or the LGPS thresholds themselves were revised in April (they are uprated each year by CPI). If your pay increased in September following the Soulbury award and that pushed you above a band threshold, the contribution rate at your next April review will reflect the higher band. Check the current-year lgpsmember.org band table and your pensionable pay figure on the payslip.

Do I need to pay HCPC registration and can I claim tax relief on it?

Educational psychologists must be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) to use the protected title. The current registration fee is £246.68 for a two-year period (approximately £123.34 a year from April 2025). If your employer does not reimburse the fee, it qualifies as a professional expense under section 344 of ITEPA 2003 and you can claim tax relief from HMRC - typically through your HMRC Personal Tax Account or by writing to HMRC.

I transferred to a new LA. Why is my scale point lower than I expected?

Scale A continuity does not automatically transfer between LA employers the way NHS continuous service does. Each LA sets the starting point for a new EP appointment, and while most will recognise experience, they are not contractually required to match your previous point. This is a negotiating point when accepting a new post, not something that can be corrected after you have started. Always confirm the scale point in writing before accepting an offer.

Am I in the LGPS or the Teachers Pension Scheme?

Almost all local-authority-employed EPs are in the LGPS. A small number of EPs employed via NHS CAMHS routes may be in the NHS Pension Scheme. EPs do not normally join the Teachers Pension Scheme because local authorities are LGPS employers for EP posts, not TPS employers. If your payslip shows TPS deductions but you are employed by a local authority, contact HR to verify the correct scheme.

What happens to my LGPS if I take a period of unpaid leave to do independent EP work?

LGPS membership stops during unpaid leave. You can apply to buy back the lost pension by making Additional Voluntary Contributions or by applying to pay additional regular contributions, but the cost of buying back membership at the full rate typically exceeds the contributions you would have paid during the leave period. Your pension fund can provide a written quotation for buy-back options.

The bottom line

Most LA payroll teams process EP payslips rarely enough that Soulbury award dates, SPA mechanics and LGPS mid-year band questions are not second nature to them. That puts the onus on you to know the numbers. The current-year AEP Soulbury circular (at aep.org.uk) tells you the exact scale point values. The lgpsmember.org band table tells you the contribution rate. Your contract tells you the scale point and any SPA points awarded. Cross those three sources against your payslip and the arithmetic either works or it does not.

Use the free PayslipIQ checker to run a first-pass sense-check, then take any discrepancy to your LA payroll team, the AEP, your LGPS fund or HMRC as appropriate. PayslipIQ provides educational estimates only - it is not a substitute for advice from your employer, your pension fund or a qualified adviser.

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Salary estimates: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) 2024, full-time gross annual pay by SOC 2020 occupation. Figures rounded to nearest £100. PayslipIQ provides educational information and estimated calculations only. It does not provide tax, legal, financial, payroll, pension or employment advice, and is not affiliated with HMRC, the NHS or any employer. Always verify your pay, tax code, deductions and pension with your employer's payroll team, HMRC or your pension provider before acting.