Strike benefit claim
This form allows you to claim some money (known as our ‘strike benefit’) from the RCN, if your pay has been deducted due to strike action. RCN members who took strike action in December 2022, January 2023 and/or February 2023 can claim £50 per day of strike action.
If we can approve your claim based on the information you share with us, we will aim to make payment within 28 days of your submission. If you are asked to provide clarification or submit more documentation to us, the process may take longer – so please read our below guidance to ensure you submit what we need.
Members that take strike action planned for 30 April – 1 May will be awarded strike benefit at £80 per day of strike action. If it is your fourth day or more of action you will be able to claim strike benefit of £120 per day for the upcoming strike days announced. Members taking action in the evening of 1 May, until 11:59pm, will be eligible to claim partial strike benefit at 50% the rate of a full day of action.
A day is defined as 7.5 or more hours for full-time staff, and for part-time staff, the member’s contractual rostered hours for the day strike action is called. This will also apply to those taking strike action during night shifts. To be eligible for strike benefit you must strike for your full shift and demonstrate that your pay has been deducted.
If you have any questions, you can email us at strike.benefit@rcn.org.uk.
Submit one claim for each round of strike action you took part in
To help us process your claim, please complete one claim for each month you took part in strike action. For example, if you went on strike for two days in December 2022 and one day in January 2023, you would need to submit two claims – one for December and one for January.
If you took strike action against multiple employers during the same month (i.e. striking at one on 15 December and another on the 20 December), you will need to complete one claim per employer.
Who can apply for strike benefit?
To receive strike benefit, you must:
- have been a paid member of the RCN when you took part in strike action
- have taken part in strike action at an employer where strike action was formally called
- have lost earnings (had your pay deducted) due to striking and have evidence of this.
You cannot claim strike benefit if you were in arrears with your RCN membership when you went on strike. This is because the strike benefit is part of your membership benefits.
What do I need to submit to claim for strikes in December 2022, January 2023 or February 2023?
Permanent staff
To complete this form, you will need to have:
- a payslip that shows your pay was deducted due to strike action
- basic information about your working hours.
Unfortunately, images of work rotas, systems used to book leave, or other applications that show you were absent due to strike action cannot be submitted, as we need to legally demonstrate that your pay was deducted by your employer. This means you may have to wait to receive a payslip or similar documentation.
NHS Staff Bank workers
We understand that NHS Staff Bank workers cannot evidence that their pay has been deducted in the same way as other NHS staff. Therefore, NHS Staff Bank workers wishing to claim strike benefit should contact us on strike.benefit@rcn.org.uk where we can advise you how to claim.
Any information you share with us will be encrypted and stored securely and will only be visible to our staff for the purposes of handling your claim. Your claim will always be subject to the RCN’s Privacy Policy.
When can I submit my claim?
Your claim must be submitted within three months of the pay date on the payslip you are submitting.
Frequently asked questions
In order to be paid strike benefit, you will need to have already taken strike action and be able to demonstrate that your salary for that day/ those days has been deducted from your pay. Therefore, it is not possible to claim strike benefit in advance of taking strike action.
Strike benefit might be considered as income for the purposes of calculating benefits such as universal credit. However, other benefits such as child benefit, might not be affected.
Members should ensure all income is correctly disclosed to the relevant government department for benefit calculation purposes. For specific advice, contact the relevant government department or visit the government's 'Benefits' page.
If you’re an agency worker, you would only be eligible for strike benefit if:
- you’re employed by an NHS employer and
- you take part in lawful industrial action on a day when you were rostered to work and
- you withdraw your labour accordingly
For further details, please see the RCN Industrial Action Handbook.
It might be that your employer has reduced the number of hours you worked in that month, which has altered the calculation of your final pay for the month. This is not acceptable. Employers have a legal obligation to clearly show what the deduction from your pay is - this must be shown on your payslip (or by a direct communication to you, either a letter or email).
It should clearly state that your pay has been deducted for the day of strike action you have taken. The maximum pay deduction for each strike day for salaried staff working under AfC terms is 1/365th of their annual salary if paid weekly or 1/12th of salary divided by the number of days in that calendar month rule if paid monthly (unless a local variation to AfC applies), as they can on any other strike day. You can use the template letters here to challenge unclear or incorrect deductions with your employer. You can also contact strikebenefit@rcn.org.uk for help.
