If you're in a role or specialty that attracts a Recruitment and Retention Premium, you're already used to explaining what RRP actually is to people outside the NHS. When it comes to mortgages, the good news is that lenders can and do count it, but the way it's structured means it needs a bit more explaining than your basic salary does.
Recruitment and Retention Premium is an additional payment on top of your Agenda for Change salary, used by Trusts to attract or keep staff in roles or areas that are hard to recruit for. It's not universal, it's tied to specific posts, and it can be a percentage addition or a fixed sum depending on how your Trust has structured it.
Because RRP is tied to your specific post rather than your band as a whole, lenders want reassurance that it's ongoing rather than a temporary or one off arrangement. This isn't them doubting your income, it's simply that RRP arrangements can be reviewed by Trusts, so a lender wants to see it's a stable, continuing part of your package rather than something that could disappear at short notice.
If you're on RRP and applying for a mortgage, it helps enormously to have:
The right lender will factor this in without treating it as a red flag. The wrong lender might discount it entirely simply because their underwriting policy hasn't been built with RRP in mind.
It's worth remembering that RRP sits alongside everything else on your payslip, including any unsocial hours enhancement if your role involves shift work. When all of it is presented properly to a lender who actually understands NHS pay structures, your full earning picture looks a lot stronger than a basic salary figure alone would suggest.
Is RRP treated the same as basic salary by lenders?
Not quite. Lenders will usually want confirmation it's ongoing before including it, since it's tied to your specific post rather than your band.
What if my Trust reviews RRP periodically?
This is common and does not automatically rule it out. Written confirmation from your Trust about the current arrangement is the key document here.
RRP is real, ongoing income for as long as your post attracts it, and a lender who knows what they're looking at will treat it that way. The difference between getting it counted and having it waved away almost always comes down to which lender you're placed with.
Take our free NHS Mortgage Readiness Quiz and I'll help you work out what your full package, RRP included, actually means for your borrowing: start the quiz here.