Stormont's independent remuneration body has confirmed a significant increase in the salaries of Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs), raising the basic salary to £67,200 from April.

Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly will see their basic salary increase by almost £14,000 under a new determination issued by the Independent Remuneration Board.

The board confirmed that the annual salary for MLAs will rise from £53,000 to £67,200 from 1 April 2026 – an increase of about 26.8%.

The decision affects all 90 MLAs elected to the Assembly.

The Independent Remuneration Board, which was established to set MLA salaries independently of politicians, said the increase reflects the responsibilities and complexity of the role and is intended to ensure that financial considerations do not deter people from standing for election.

Chairperson Alan Lowry said the board's objective was to ensure remuneration that fairly reflects the work undertaken by Assembly members while maintaining the independence of the process. The board also noted that MLA salaries had not been fully reviewed for several years and considered various benchmarks when reaching its decision, including comparisons with elected representatives in other UK legislatures and the impact of inflation on pay levels.

Alongside the pay increase, the determination introduces financial penalties aimed at discouraging future political deadlock.

Under the new arrangements, MLA salaries could be reduced if an Executive is not formed following an Assembly election, or if the offices of First Minister and deputy First Minister remain vacant. These sanctions could see salaries reduced in stages if the required institutions are not established within the timeframes set out in legislation.

The determination follows a consultation period during which MLAs, the Assembly Commission and pension trustees were invited to provide feedback on the draft proposals before the board reached its final decision.

MLAs currently receive a basic salary of £53,000, a level that has changed only modestly in recent years.

The new rate of £67,200 will take effect at the start of the next financial year on 1 April.