“For 2026 the specified increase in prices is 3.8% and the increase in earnings is 4.8%.” The Department of Finance has confirmed the Public Service Pensions Revaluation Order (Northern Ireland) 2026, setting the uplift used to revalue active career‑average benefits for public servants from April. (finance-ni.gov.uk)

This applies across Northern Ireland’s devolved public service schemes - covering civil servants, teachers, police, local government and health and social care staff - with firefighters revalued by earnings rather than prices. In practice, most schemes will revalue members’ 2025/26 accrual by 3.8% (CPI), while the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme uses the 4.8% Average Weekly Earnings figure. (finance-ni.gov.uk)

The order comes into operation from 1 April 2026. As in previous years, Local Government (NILGOSC) and Health and Social Care schemes apply revaluation from 6 April to align with the tax year - an approach also noted by UK ministers as a way to manage annual allowance interactions. (finance-ni.gov.uk)

It’s important to separate this revaluation (which protects the value of benefits still being built up) from the annual increase to pensions already in payment. For 2026, pensions in payment are due a 3.8% inflation increase from 6 April, subject to the usual pro‑rata rules for newer awards, under a separate Pensions Increase (Review) Order. (gov.uk)

Officials base the 3.8% price figure on the Consumer Prices Index in the year to September 2025, and the 4.8% earnings figure on the ONS ‘whole economy’ Average Weekly Earnings over the same period. Scotland’s pensions agency has separately confirmed CPI was 3.8% in the year to September 2025 and that 2026 revaluation orders take effect from 1 April. (finance-ni.gov.uk)

What this means on the ground: members don’t need to do anything. Scheme administrators will apply the uplift automatically to the slice of pension earned between April 2025 and March 2026. Employers’ payroll and finance teams should watch the April and 6 April cut‑over points, given the link with annual allowance calculations flagged by ministers. (questions-statements.parliament.uk)

The Department of Finance’s equality screening concludes the measure has no adverse differential impact across Section 75 groups; it simply maintains the real‑terms value of active members’ accrued pension. In plain terms, this is a technical annual adjustment rather than a change to who qualifies or how much is contributed. (finance-ni.gov.uk)

For readers comparing with Great Britain schemes, HM Treasury issues a separate revaluation order covering GB and has also worked to the September 2025 CPI figure of 3.8%, with in‑payment pension increases from 6 April. Headline percentages often match, but scheme rules differ - especially where an earnings‑based formula like firefighters applies. (pensions.gov.scot)