NHS London Weighting After Tax 2026/27
NHS London weighting, officially High Cost Area Supplement or HCAS, is usually shown as a gross allowance. This page shows what Inner, Outer and Fringe London weighting can mean for monthly take-home pay after NHS pension, tax, NI and student-loan deductions.
Estimated monthly take-home pay: £2,351.10 after tax, NI and NHS pension.
Estimate assumptions
Illustrative annualised 2026/27 estimate using a standard tax code, Cat A NI and NHS pension membership. Student-loan deductions are annualised; payroll calculates and rounds them by pay period. Your payslip can also differ with overtime, salary sacrifice, arrears or a different tax code.
NHS London weighting after tax: the quick answer
By Dan · Updated 8 June 2026 · Checked against NHS Employers, NHSBSA and GOV.UK rates.
London weighting sounds simple, a percentage on top for working in the capital, but High Cost Area Supplements are pensionable and taxable, so the headline figure is not what you keep. This page shows what Inner, Outer and Fringe HCAS are actually worth after deductions in 2026/27, band by band.
NHS London weighting is officially High Cost Area Supplement, or HCAS. The gross allowance is useful, but the payroll question is how much of Inner, Outer or Fringe London weighting reaches monthly take-home pay after NHS pension, Income Tax, National Insurance and student loans.
The calculator above lets you choose a band, pay point and HCAS area. The sections below answer the exact London queries from the research: NHS salary London weighting calculator, NHS London weighting take-home pay, Inner London Band 5 take-home pay, Outer London weighting after tax and Fringe allowance NHS after tax.
NHS London weighting take-home pay by band
The same gross HCAS does not create the same net result at every band. In 2026/27, Inner London is 20% subject to a £5,794 minimum and £8,746 maximum; Outer London is 15% with a £4,870 minimum and £6,137 maximum; Fringe is 5% with a £1,346 minimum and £2,270 maximum. The table focuses on take-home because pension, tax, NI and loans reduce the gross allowance.
| Scenario | Base salary | Inner London net | Outer London net | Fringe net |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 5 entry | £32,073 | £2,351.10 | £2,268.52 | £2,127.55 |
| Band 6 entry | £39,959 | £2,857.07 | £2,750.25 | £2,536.60 |
| Band 7 entry | £49,387 | £3,378.53 | £3,254.94 | £3,062.16 |
NHS salary London weighting calculator
Use the HCAS selector above to compare no London weighting, Fringe, Outer London and Inner London. In 2026/27, Inner London is 20% of basic pay with a £5,794 floor and £8,746 cap; Outer London is 15% with a £4,870 floor and £6,137 cap; Fringe is 5% with a £1,346 floor and £2,270 cap.
The supplement is designed to recognise the higher cost of working in designated London and fringe areas. It is calculated from basic salary but is subject to official minimum and maximum amounts. It is also pensionable, which is why the calculator applies pension, tax, NI and student-loan effects rather than simply adding the gross allowance to take-home pay.
Inner London Band 5 take-home pay
Inner London is the highest HCAS zone. It uses 20% of basic salary, but official minimum and maximum limits mean the final gross supplement is not always exactly 20% for every band and pay point.
At Band 5, Inner London weighting increases pensionable and taxable pay. The take-home increase is lower than the gross allowance after pension, tax, NI and any student-loan deduction.
Outer London weighting after tax
Outer London HCAS is 15% of basic pay, subject to a £4,870 minimum and £6,137 maximum in 2026/27. For entry Band 6, the table shows Outer London take-home of about £2,750 a month versus £2,430 without HCAS — a net gain of about £320 a month after deductions.
Fringe allowance NHS after tax
Fringe HCAS is the smallest London supplement, but it can still change pensionable pay. In 2026/27 the minimum Fringe payment is £1,346. On intermediate Band 5, adding that minimum to £34,592 takes pensionable pay just above the £35,156 threshold for the 9.8% pension tier, so a small allowance can still change the deduction percentage.
Does London weighting change pension?
Yes. In this estimate HCAS is treated as pensionable pay. That means it increases the NHS pension deduction and can move someone into the next employee contribution tier. For example, top Band 6 at £48,117 plus Outer London HCAS up to £6,137 gives pensionable pay of about £54,254, above the £52,779 threshold for the 10.7% tier.
For example, intermediate Band 5 at £34,592 is below the £35,156 threshold for the 9.8% pension tier. Add the Fringe HCAS minimum of £1,346, and pensionable pay becomes about £35,938, moving the worker from the 8.3% tier to the 9.8% tier. That is a good example of why gross London weighting and net London weighting are different.
Frequently asked questions
How much is NHS London weighting after tax?▼
High Cost Area Supplements add pensionable pay on top of basic salary. For 2026/27, Inner London is 20% with a £5,794–£8,746 range, Outer London is 15% with a £4,870–£6,137 range, and Fringe is 5% with a £1,346–£2,270 range. The calculator shows the amount after pension, tax and NI.
What is the difference between Inner, Outer and Fringe HCAS?▼
Inner London pays the highest supplement: 20% of basic pay, capped at £8,746. Outer London pays 15%, capped at £6,137. Fringe pays 5%, capped at £2,270. Minimum payments also apply, so lower bands can receive more than the raw percentage would suggest.
Is London weighting pensionable?▼
Yes. HCAS is pensionable pay. If the allowance moves pensionable earnings across a tier boundary, the employee pension percentage can rise as well as the cash deduction. That is why the net gain is smaller than the gross supplement.
Does London weighting count towards pay progression?▼
It is added on top of your Agenda for Change basic pay and does not change your pay point or progression. It is a supplement, not part of the basic salary used for increments.
Can London weighting push me into a higher pension tier?▼
It can. Top Band 6 is £48,117; adding Outer London HCAS of up to £6,137 gives pensionable pay of about £54,254, above the £52,779 threshold for the 10.7% pension tier.
Is HCAS pro-rated for part-time staff?▼
Yes. Like basic pay, the supplement is reduced in line with your worked hours, subject to the minimum and maximum cash limits for your area.
How much does Inner London add to Band 5 take-home?▼
Entry Band 5 with Inner London is estimated at around £2,351 a month after deductions, against roughly £2,040 without weighting — an increase of about £300, lower than the gross supplement because deductions rise too.
Do doctors receive London weighting?▼
This page models HCAS for Agenda for Change staff. Resident doctors and consultants sit on separate medical contracts and should use the doctor pages or their work schedule/job plan rather than this AfC HCAS calculator.
Sources, methodology and data quality
The page uses official HCAS values and applies them as pensionable pay in the estimate. Actual local payroll can vary where arrears, enhancements, salary sacrifice or tax-code changes apply.
| Source | How this page uses it | Link |
|---|---|---|
| NHS Employers 2026/27 Agenda for Change pay scales | Used for Band 5, Band 6, Band 7 and HCAS/London weighting salary values. | NHS Employers pay scales |
| NHSBSA pension contribution tiers from 1 April 2026 | Used to apply the employee NHS pension contribution rate against pensionable pay. | NHSBSA pension tiers |
| GOV.UK student and postgraduate loan deduction tables 2026/27 | Used for Plan 1, Plan 2, Plan 4, Plan 5 and postgraduate loan thresholds. | GOV.UK student loan tables |
| GOV.UK Income Tax and National Insurance guidance | Used for 2026/27 PAYE and employee NI assumptions in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. | GOV.UK income tax rates |