FDA Assistant General Secretary Amy Leversidge has responded to the publication of the Civil Service Pay Remit Guidance for 2021-22, which confirms a pay pause for civil servants, apart from those earning under £24,000, who will receive a small uplift of £250.

Leversidge described the confirmation of the pause as “deeply disappointing”, arguing that “civil servants have gone to extraordinary lengths to keep the country running over the last twelve months, whether it was building the furlough scheme or coping with unprecedented demand on the benefits system, and this announcement is a slap in the face following their incredible efforts.

“The guidance also fails to recognise the critical role our civil servants will play as we emerge from the pandemic and look to reopen society and rebuild the economy. The pay freeze will do nothing to build morale in the civil service and ensure it retains the knowledge and skills that will be required to deliver the government’s priorities in the years ahead.”

Leversidge reassured members and the wider civil service, however, that “the FDA will continue to campaign for a pay system that properly recognises the talent and expertise of our world-leading civil service.”