Annual Leave Purchase Scheme 2026/27
The Annual Leave Purchase Scheme has re-opened for applications to be completed between Thursday 29th January 2026 and midnight on Monday 2nd March 2026.
This scheme allows employees to purchase one or two additional weeks of annual leave, with costs deducted in equal instalments across the remaining months of the leave year, from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027. For part-time staff, leave is offered on a pro-rata basis.
All requests are subject to managerial approval, ensuring that operational needs continue to be met. Employees who currently have a birthday leave year must agree to transition to a 1 April – 31 March annual leave year to comply with Local Government Pension Scheme regulations.
Employees who meet the eligibility criteria can submit their applications online between 29 January and 2 March 2026.
**Subject to a possible change in LGPS regulations, any annual leave purchased this year may not require an LGPS buy back to be completed. We are awaiting confirmation from the Government on pension deductions not being affected by any annual leave deductions from 01.04.26. We will confirm this at a later date.**
This scheme offers a great opportunity to enhance work-life balance while spreading the cost of additional leave across the year. Interested employees are encouraged to apply early to allow sufficient time for processing.
This scheme is available to all employees, except:
- employees of the Council who have not completed 9 months’ continuous service at the time of making the request
- Elected Members
- Employees contracted to work term-time only
- Employees under teacher’s terms and conditions or who pay into the Teachers’ Pension Scheme
- Employees of a school Governing Body
- Employees covered by a pre-existing arrangement for annual leave, for example, under a TUPE agreement
- Agency workers
- Employees where deductions will take their monthly payment below the National Living Wage for their contracted hours
Updating Timeware (Manager Guidance)
How to apply
Applications MUST be submitted via Fusion. Please follow guidance below.
Completed forms should be sent to HR Employee Services via:
Please do not submit hard copies. If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us via the leave purchase e-mail address above.