Following significant campaigning by members of The Archbishops' Council and retired clergy, proposals to increase clergy pensions have been put forward to General Synod, which will meet in York in July.
If the proposals are accepted, serving clergy who have not yet retired can expect to receive a full clergy pension after 40 years of service which would equate to around £20,000 a year. Alongside a full state pension, clergy could expect an income in retirement of more than £32,000 per year.
- Restoring the target pension level to two-thirds of pensionable stipend for future service.
- Changing the reference stipend used to calculate pensions at commencement by removing the ‘one-year lag’. This would provide a boost to all pensions coming into payment.
- Uplifting benefits for active and deferred members to reflect a two-thirds accrual rate since 2011.
- Providing an increase to pensions that have come into payment since 2011.
"We're encouraged to read this very welcome news in The Church Times. If passed at General Synod, this will provide a vital boost to the financial wellbeing of current and future CoE pension-holders."
"At our recent Festival Dinner, our Honorary President, the Archbishop of York, The Most Revd and Rt Hon Stephen Cottrell addressed our supporters and donors, and assured us that change is coming. Following recent proposals for stipend increases and the Church's £2m grant to Clergy Support Trust, this is an important next step in seeing this turnaround happen."
The Revd Ben Cahill-Nicholls
Chief Executive, Clergy Support Trust
Last year, Clergy Support Trust provided over £260,000 in grants to help retired clergy households with the challenges they face, including for energy costs, household adaptations and mobility aids. We believe that the people who have spent their lives serving their communities should be able to enjoy a safe retirement of financial security, free of worries for the future.
In February 2025, The Archbishops' Council's provided a £2 million grant to Clergy Support Trust, a contribution towards the £5.6 million we spent supporting serving Church of England clergy and their families last year, across over 6,300 vital grants. However, this is only a sticking plaster, and a meaningful increase to the stipend is urgently needed so that serving clergy do not continue struggling to afford the basics of home and ministry.
If you're part of a retired clergy household and are in need of financial or emotional support, use our handy Eligibility Checker to find out how we may be able to walk alongside you - from Emergency grants for those unexpected costs that catch us all off-guard, to our counselling and insomnia therapy services to support your wellbeing.