NHS London Weighting Calculator

What Is the NHS London Weighting Calculator?

The NHS London Weighting Calculator estimates the High Cost Area Supplement (HCAS) added to the basic pay of eligible Agenda for Change staff working in Inner London, Outer London or designated Fringe areas.

Although “London weighting” is the commonly searched term, the official Agenda for Change term is High Cost Area Supplement. The amount is calculated as a percentage of basic salary, subject to an annual minimum and maximum for each HCAS area.

Select your NHS band, pay point, contracted weekly hours and workplace HCAS area. The calculator will show your pro-rata basic salary, annual and monthly HCAS, total gross pay and effective hourly rate.

The calculator uses England’s Agenda for Change pay and HCAS values effective from 1 April 2026. It does not determine your HCAS zone automatically because eligibility depends on your NHS workplace rather than your home address. Confirm the correct area with your employer if you are unsure.

You can compare the underlying salary points in the NHS Pay Bands Overview. For a broader estimate that includes standard salary deductions, visit the NHS Salary Calculator.

How to Use and Calculate NHS London Weighting

Follow these steps:

1. Select your Agenda for Change pay band.
2. Choose the correct pay point.
3. Check the automatically displayed full-time annual salary.
4. Enter your contracted weekly hours, such as 37.5 for full-time employment.
5. Select Inner London, Outer London, Fringe or Outside an HCAS area.
6. Select Calculate to view the estimated supplement and total gross pay.

If your full-time equivalent salary differs from the published pay point, select the custom-salary option and enter the appropriate annual amount.

For a full-time employee, the initial percentage calculation is:

Full-time annual basic salary × HCAS percentage

The result is then compared with the official minimum and maximum for the selected area:

• If the percentage amount is below the minimum, the minimum applies.
• If it falls between the minimum and maximum, the percentage amount applies.
• If it exceeds the maximum, the maximum applies.

For a part-time employee, the full-time HCAS is calculated first and then adjusted according to contracted hours:

FTE proportion = Contracted weekly hours ÷ 37.5

Part-time HCAS = Full-time HCAS × FTE proportion

Total annual gross pay = Pro-rata basic salary + Part-time HCAS

The result is gross pay before Income Tax, National Insurance, NHS Pension contributions, student-loan repayments and other deductions. Use the NHS Take Home Pay Calculator when you need an estimated deduction breakdown, or the NHS Wage Calculator to compare annual, monthly, weekly and hourly basic earnings.

Band 5 Inner London Example

Consider a Band 5 employee at the entry pay point who works 37.5 hours per week in Inner London.

Calculator inputs:

• Full-time annual basic salary: £32,073
• Contracted weekly hours: 37.5
• FTE proportion: 1.00
• HCAS area: Inner London
• HCAS rate: 20%
• Annual minimum: £5,794
• Annual maximum: £8,746

Step 1: Calculate 20% of basic salary

£32,073 × 20% = £6,414.60

Step 2: Apply the minimum and maximum limits

£6,414.60 is higher than the £5,794 minimum and lower than the £8,746 maximum. Therefore, the percentage amount applies without adjustment.

Step 3: Calculate total annual gross pay

£32,073 + £6,414.60 = £38,487.60

Step 4: Calculate monthly HCAS

£6,414.60 ÷ 12 = £534.55

Step 5: Calculate total monthly gross pay

£38,487.60 ÷ 12 = £3,207.30

The calculator also shows estimated total weekly gross pay of £738.12 and an effective hourly gross rate of £19.68. These results match the calculator’s displayed output.

A different rule can apply at another salary or HCAS area. For example, 15% of a £32,073 Band 5 salary is £4,810.95. Because this is below the 2026/27 Outer London minimum of £4,870, the calculator applies £4,870 instead.

Inner London, Outer London and Fringe HCAS Rates

The calculator uses the following England HCAS values from 1 April 2026:

HCAS area	Percentage of basic salary	Annual minimum	Annual maximum
Inner London	20%	£5,794	£8,746
Outer London	15%	£4,870	£6,137
Fringe	5%	£1,346	£2,270
Outside an HCAS area	0%	£0	£0

Inner London provides the highest percentage, minimum and maximum. Outer London uses a lower percentage and limits, while the Fringe supplement applies to designated areas beyond the main Inner and Outer London zones.

The calculator asks users to select their workplace area because a London postal address alone does not necessarily establish the correct HCAS entitlement. Official payment zones are defined under Agenda for Change, and the employing NHS organisation should confirm which zone applies.

HCAS is pensionable, but it does not count as basic pay when calculating overtime or unsocial-hours payments. These payments should therefore be assessed separately rather than increasing the basic hourly rate used for every additional payment.

Part-time employees receive the applicable supplement on a pro-rata basis. For example, an employee working 22.5 hours has an FTE proportion of 0.60. If their full-time Inner London HCAS is £6,414.60, their estimated part-time HCAS is:

£6,414.60 × 0.60 = £3,848.76 per year

The calculator provides an estimate based on the selected inputs. Actual payroll amounts may differ because of contractual changes, payroll rounding, workplace eligibility or locally agreed arrangements.

FAQs

Q1: What is NHS London weighting?
A: NHS London weighting commonly refers to the High Cost Area Supplement paid to eligible Agenda for Change staff working in designated Inner London, Outer London and Fringe areas.

Q2: How much is Inner London HCAS in 2026/27?
A: Inner London HCAS is 20% of basic salary, subject to a full-time annual minimum of £5,794 and maximum of £8,746 from 1 April 2026.

Q3: What is the Outer London HCAS rate?
A: Outer London HCAS is 15% of basic salary, subject to a full-time annual minimum of £4,870 and maximum of £6,137.

Q4: What is the NHS Fringe HCAS rate?
A: The Fringe rate is 5% of basic salary, subject to a full-time annual minimum of £1,346 and maximum of £2,270.

Q5: Is NHS London weighting based on where I live?
A: Not normally. HCAS eligibility is connected to the NHS workplace and the applicable official payment zone. Confirm your area with your employer rather than relying only on your home address or postcode.

Q6: Do part-time NHS employees receive London weighting?
A: Eligible part-time employees can receive HCAS on a pro-rata basis. The calculator adjusts the full-time supplement according to contracted weekly hours.

Q7: Is HCAS included when calculating overtime or unsocial-hours pay?
A: HCAS is pensionable, but it does not count as basic pay for calculating overtime or unsocial-hours enhancements under the standard Agenda for Change provisions.

Q8: Does this calculator deduct tax, National Insurance or pension?
A: No. It estimates gross basic pay and HCAS before payroll deductions.