How to Write a Pay Rise Request Letter UK: Make the Case, Not Just the Ask
Most people who want a pay rise never ask for one. Of those who do ask, most do it verbally, informally, at the wrong moment, without preparation and without making a case. A brief conversation at the end of a meeting is easy for an employer to deflect. A well-constructed written request is not.
Writing your pay rise request puts your case on record, forces you to organise your argument, and gives your manager something concrete to take to whoever controls the pay budget. It also signals that you are taking this seriously, which changes how the conversation is received. This guide explains what to include, what to avoid, how to research your market value before you write, and two worked examples covering the most common situations.
Your Legal Position First
There is no general legal right to a pay rise in the UK. As Acas explains in its guidance on pay rises, your employer is not obliged to increase your pay unless your contract provides for it, a collective agreement covers it, or the National Minimum Wage requires it. What your employer is obliged to do is listen to your request and consider it fairly. Dismissing someone for asking for a pay rise would be very unlikely to constitute a fair reason for dismissal, and if you have been with the employer for two years or more, it could give rise to an unfair dismissal claim. Asking formally, in writing, creates a paper trail that protects you if your request is handled unfairly.
There is also an equal pay angle worth knowing. Under the Equality Act 2010, men and women doing equal work are entitled to equal pay. If you believe your pay is lower than a colleague of the opposite sex doing equivalent work, this is a separate and stronger legal route that goes beyond a simple pay rise request. Get advice from Acas or a solicitor if you think this applies.
Before You Write: Do the Groundwork
Know Your Market Rate
The strongest pay rise requests are built on data, not feeling. Before you write, research what people in your role, at your level and in your location are actually being paid. Sources include:
Glassdoor, Totaljobs and Reed salary checkers for current advertised salaries in your sector
LinkedIn Salary Insights, which draws on profile data for your specific job title and location
Industry salary surveys published by professional bodies or trade associations in your field
The Office for National Statistics Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, which publishes median earnings by occupation
Conversations with recruiters, who will know current market rates without you having to apply for anything
You are looking for a credible figure you can reference. If the market rate for your role in your area is materially higher than your current salary, that is your strongest argument. If it is roughly the same, your argument shifts to your specific contribution and performance rather than market positioning.
Build Your Evidence of Contribution
The second thing you need before writing is a clear account of what you have delivered since your last pay review or since you joined. Employers award pay rises based on value delivered and value expected. Your letter needs to answer both questions. What have you actually done that goes beyond your job description? What have you taken on that was not in your original role? What have your efforts produced in measurable terms?
Make this as specific and quantifiable as possible. Revenue generated, costs saved, projects delivered, clients retained, team members trained, processes improved, complaints resolved. Generic claims that you work hard or are a committed employee carry very little weight. Specific outcomes do.
Choose the Right Moment
Timing a pay rise request badly can sink it before the letter is read. The strongest moments are: shortly after a measurable success or positive performance review, during a period when the business is doing well, ahead of the annual budget-setting cycle when salary decisions for the coming year are being made, or when you have recently taken on significantly more responsibility. The worst moments are immediately after a difficult period for the business, when your manager is under pressure from their own line, or just after you have made an error or received critical feedback.
What to Include in Your Pay Rise Request Letter
Your current salary and the increase you are requesting. State both clearly. Giving a specific figure or percentage is more effective than asking for a review. It forces a yes or no rather than a discussion that trails off.
Your market rate evidence. Reference the research you have done. Cite the sources and the figures. If the market data supports a higher salary, this is your strongest objective ground.
Your specific contributions and achievements. Three to five concrete examples with measurable outcomes where possible. Not qualities or adjectives. Actions and results.
Any increased responsibilities. If your role has expanded since your pay was last set, name the additions specifically. Doing more work for the same pay is a clear and legitimate ground.
Your commitment to the role and the organisation. Brief. Not sycophantic. A sentence that signals you want this resolved here rather than by going elsewhere.
A proposed effective date. Requesting a specific start date for the increase focuses the conversation and avoids it drifting.
An invitation to meet. The letter opens the conversation. A meeting closes it. Ask for one.
What Not to Include
Personal financial circumstances. Your rent going up, your childcare costs, your mortgage rate. These are real pressures but they are not reasons for an employer to pay you more. Pay is attached to the value you deliver, not to your outgoings. Mentioning financial need shifts the conversation onto ground where you are much weaker.
Threats or ultimatums. Do not say you will leave if the request is refused unless you genuinely mean it and are prepared to follow through immediately. Empty ultimatums damage your position. If you have a competing offer, you can mention it factually as market evidence, but framing it as a threat rarely ends well.
Comparisons with named colleagues. Saying you are paid less than a specific person by name is almost always a bad idea. It creates defensiveness, confidentiality issues and rarely helps your case. Market comparisons are fine. Individual comparisons usually are not.
Apologies for asking. Do not open by apologising for raising the subject or by hedging extensively before you get to the point. You are making a professional case, not asking for a favour. A letter that begins with six sentences of anxious preamble signals uncertainty before the argument has even started.
Full Worked Example: Performance-Based Pay Rise Request
[Your full name]
[Your job title and department]
[Date]
[Manager's name]
[Their title]
Subject: Request for Salary Review – [Your name]
Dear [Manager's name],
I am writing to formally request a review of my current salary of £[current salary] per annum, with a view to an increase to £[requested salary], effective from [proposed date].
I have been in this role for [X years/months] and I believe my contribution, the responsibilities I now carry and the current market rate for my position all support this request.
What I have delivered
Since [date or last review], I have [describe your first achievement with a specific outcome: led the implementation of the new client onboarding process, reducing average onboarding time from six weeks to three and receiving positive feedback from [number] clients / managed a portfolio of [number] accounts with a combined value of £[amount], retaining all key clients through the contract renewal period / delivered [project name] on time and within budget, despite the scope expanding by [percentage] during the project].
[Second achievement: I have also taken on the management of [describe the added responsibility], which was not part of my original role description when my salary was last set. I now [describe what this involves and its scale or impact].]
[Third achievement if relevant: In addition, I [describe a third contribution with a measurable outcome].]
Market context
I have researched current salaries for equivalent roles in [sector/location] and found that the typical range is [lower figure] to [upper figure], with a median of approximately [figure]. My current salary of £[amount] sits below this range. The figures I have referenced are drawn from [name your sources: Glassdoor / Totaljobs / [industry body] salary survey / ONS earnings data].
My request
I am asking for a salary increase to £[requested amount], representing a [percentage]% increase. I believe this reflects both the value I bring to the role and the current market position for equivalent work.
I would welcome the opportunity to discuss this with you. I am available at a time that suits you and am happy to provide any further information that would be useful.
Yours sincerely,
[Your name]
Full Worked Example: Increased Responsibilities Pay Rise Request
Use this version when your role has grown materially and your pay has not kept pace, even if you cannot make a strong market rate argument.
[Your full name]
[Your job title and department]
[Date]
[Manager's name]
Subject: Salary Review Request – Change in Responsibilities – [Your name]
Dear [Manager's name],
I am writing to request a review of my salary in light of the significant changes to my responsibilities since my pay was last reviewed.
When I joined [company] as [original job title] in [year], my role involved [brief description of original scope]. My salary of £[current amount] reflected that role.
How my role has changed
Over the past [timeframe], my responsibilities have expanded considerably. I now [describe the first major addition: manage a team of [number] people, which was not part of my original role / oversee the [name] budget of £[amount] / act as the primary contact for [key client or stakeholder group] / cover the duties of [role] in addition to my own].
[Describe further changes: I have also [second expansion]. And since [date], I have [third expansion if relevant].]
The role I am doing today is materially different from the one my current salary was set against. I am not asking for recognition of goodwill. I am asking for pay that reflects the job I am actually doing.
My request
I am requesting a salary increase to £[requested amount], effective from [date]. I am happy to discuss the basis for this figure and to provide any supporting information.
Please let me know a convenient time to meet.
Yours sincerely,
[Your name]
What Happens After You Send It
Your manager will need to respond. If your request is straightforward and they have budget authority, they may come back quickly. More often, they will want a meeting, and may need to take the request to HR or to their own line manager before they can give you an answer.
Give the process reasonable time. A week without any acknowledgement is worth a polite follow-up message. If you are told the answer is no, ask for the reasons in writing and ask what would need to change for a pay rise to be considered. That conversation gives you either a concrete roadmap or the information you need to decide whether you want to stay.
If you are told the pay rise is agreed, ask for written confirmation of the new salary and the effective date. Your contract terms should reflect any change to your main pay rate. Under UK law, your employer must notify you in writing of any change to your pay. Keep a copy of that confirmation.
If the Request Is Refused
A refusal is information. Find out why. If the reason is budget, ask when pay will next be reviewed and whether the request can be carried forward. If the reason is performance, ask what specifically needs to improve and over what timescale. If the reason given seems inconsistent with how colleagues have been treated, consider whether there is an equal pay issue worth exploring further.
If you believe the refusal was handled unfairly, for example if you were given no reason, or the decision appears to have been influenced by a protected characteristic, you can raise a formal grievance through your employer's grievance procedure. Acas can advise on whether your situation gives rise to anything further.
Getting Help
If you want help drafting a pay rise request letter that makes the strongest possible case for your specific situation, the team at LetterLab can help you get the structure and the language right before you send it. A letter that is specific, evidenced and professionally presented is significantly more likely to produce a serious response than one written under pressure the night before a meeting.
Quick Checklist: Before You Send
Have you researched your market rate and can you cite a credible source for the figure?
Have you identified three to five specific achievements with measurable outcomes since your last review?
Have you named any responsibilities you have taken on that were not in your original role?
Have you stated your current salary, the amount you are requesting and a proposed effective date?
Have you kept the letter to one page and avoided apologies, threats and personal financial circumstances?
Have you asked for a meeting to follow up?
Are you sending at a time when the business and your manager are not under unusual pressure?
Have you kept a copy of the letter?
The Key Takeaway: Make the Case, Not Just the Ask
The difference between a pay rise request that gets taken seriously and one that is politely deferred is almost always the quality of the case rather than the boldness of the ask. An employer who respects you and has budget is looking for a reason to say yes. Your job in the letter is to give them one.
State what you have delivered. Reference the market. Name the responsibilities. Ask for a specific figure. Propose a date. Request a meeting. Keep it to a page. That is a case. Everything else is just a conversation starter.
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