London Weighting Explained
How London and fringe allowances work for NHS nurses: inner, outer and fringe rates and how they affect your salary.
What is the High Cost Area Supplement (HCAS)?
The High Cost Area Supplement — often called London weighting — is an extra payment for NHS staff whose place of work is in or near London. It is part of the national Agenda for Change agreement and is designed to reflect the higher cost of living in the capital and surrounding areas. Your HCAS depends on where your employer says your work base is, not where you live.
HCAS is paid in addition to your basic AfC salary. It is pensionable, so it counts towards your NHS pension and increases your take-home pay. The amount you get depends on which of the three zones your workplace falls into and on your basic salary.
The Three Zones: Inner, Outer and Fringe
There are three HCAS tiers:
- Inner London — 20% of your basic salary, with a minimum of £5,609 and a maximum of £8,466 per year (2025/26)
- Outer London — 15% of your basic salary, with a minimum of £4,714 and a maximum of £5,941 per year
- London Fringe — 5% of your basic salary, with a minimum of £1,303 and a maximum of £2,198 per year
"Inner" and "outer" London are defined by specific boroughs and postcodes. London Fringe covers areas just outside London, such as parts of Essex, Surrey, Kent and Hertfordshire. Your trust or employer will confirm which zone applies to your base. If you work at more than one site, your main base is usually used to determine HCAS.
Example: Band 5 Nurse in Inner London
A Band 5 nurse in England on the bottom pay point has a basic salary of £31,049 (2025/26). In Inner London they receive 20% HCAS. 20% of £31,049 is £6,210, which is above the minimum (£5,609) and below the maximum (£8,466), so their HCAS is £6,210. Total pay would be £31,049 + £6,210 = £37,259.
The same nurse at the top of Band 5 (£37,796) would get 20% = £7,559, so total pay £45,355. So London weighting can add several thousand pounds a year to your salary compared with the same band and pay point outside the high-cost area.
Who Gets London Weighting?
HCAS is paid to staff on Agenda for Change whose designated work base is in an inner, outer or London fringe area. It applies to nurses, midwives, HCAs and other AfC staff. It is not based on where you live — so you can live outside London and still get HCAS if your workplace is in a qualifying area, and vice versa.
If you work in a trust that has sites both inside and outside the high-cost area, your HCAS is usually determined by your main contractual base. Temporary or occasional work in a different zone may not change your supplement; check your contract and local policy.
Does London Weighting Increase Each Year?
The minimum and maximum amounts for each zone are normally reviewed as part of the annual NHS pay round. When the Pay Review Body recommends a pay increase, the government can also adjust HCAS minimums and maximums. So the figures above are for 2025/26 and may change in future years.
What About Other Expensive Areas?
Outside London and the fringe, there is no separate "weighting" in the national AfC agreement. Some employers in other high-cost regions may offer local recruitment or retention premia, but these are not the same as the national HCAS and vary by trust.