MoJ October 2026: what the new contracts mean for Public Service Interpreters

The Ministry of Justice changes its language services contracts this autumn. If you interpret in courts, police stations, tribunals or prisons, or you want to, this affects the work you can take and what you need to hold to take it.

What is changing?

thebigword stays on as primary supplier for spoken languages, with Translate UK joining as a new secondary supplier. Clarion UK keeps visual and tactile services; The Language Shop stays as quality and assurance provider. The contracts start on 5 October 2026.

The second supplier exists to fill short notice bookings the primary supplier can't cover. Those jobs have historically gone off contract, outside the normal pay and quality arrangements.

Source : Ministry of Justice, letter from Sarah Sackman KC MP to the Chair of the House of Lords Public Services Committee, 22 January 2026; Contracts Finder award notices.

What qualification standards will apply?

This is the part that matters for your career. Ann Carlisle's independent review of Interpreter qualifications has been written into the new contract specifications, replacing the old multi-tier register with two levels:

• Level 3, Community Standard. Predictable, non-specialist work across the MoJ and other public services. Oral skills only: basic consecutive interpreting and sight translation out of English, with a compulsory introduction to legal interpreting before you're deployed.

• Level 6, Professional Standard. Courts, complex hearings, the better-paid assignments. You need specialist legal terminology, consecutive and simultaneous interpreting, and sight and written translation in both directions.

Source : CIOL, New Qualification Requirements for MoJ Interpreting; Proposed New MoJ Qualifications Framework for Spoken Languages (draft), published by NRPSI.

The DPSI Law sits at Level 6. It's a Degree-level recognised qualification, awarded by CIOL, and it's how most Interpreters reach the professional tier.

There's also an experience threshold. If you're newly qualified, or you have fewer than 200 hours behind you, expect to be held at pre-professional assignments until you've built the hours. Qualifications gained outside the UK need proven equivalence. Welsh sits outside this framework altogether.

Source : Proposed New MoJ Qualifications Framework for Spoken Languages (draft), NRPSI.

The full contract specifications aren't public, so read the above as the direction of travel and keep an eye on MoJ and supplier communications. CIOL notes that alternative arrangements apply where no formal qualification exists for a language.

Source : CIOL, New Qualification Requirements for MoJ Interpreting.

What else has changed?

Quality assessment moves to risk-based sampling, and the quality and assurance provider can now review suppliers' complaints processes. On welfare, suppliers must signpost support for sensitive bookings, and you'll be able to opt out of certain types of work. On pay, increases are tied annually to the Consumer Price Index, the two-hour minimum stays for HMCTS face-to-face assignments, and wider definitions of cancellation mean more Interpreters get paid when a job falls through. The Ministry turned down the call for a minimum rate.

Source : Ministry of Justice letter, 22 January 2026.

What if you don't hold Level 6 yet?

The Trainee Scheme is expanding, with more places and the cost to you cut to 25%. It targets priority languages, so whether it helps depends on your pair.

Source : Ministry of Justice letter, 22 January 2026.

Otherwise the position is simple enough. The better work is being tied to Level 6, and the gap between the two tiers is now written down rather than left to interpretation.

Where do you start?

• Aiming at court work? Our DPSI Law course is the direct route: 37 modules, 81 exercises, past exam papers, a LanguagePartner™ session and full team support. You'll need to pick a single language pair direction for the CIOL DPSI exam, so decide that early. See linguisttraining.com/dpsilaw.

• Working in healthcare? The same Level 6 standard applies. See linguisttraining.com/dpsihealth.

• New to interpreting? The FDTI is the place to start if you're new, or if you've been told you need "a diploma" to work for a UK public sector organisation. See linguisttraining.com/fdti.

• Want the Level 3 route? We're launching the Certificate in Community Interpreting, a Level 3 qualification with Gatehouse Awards Ltd, an Ofqual-regulated awarding organisation. See linguisttraining.com/courses/cci.

• Not sure of your level? We offer a free language-level (CEFR) test at linguisttraining.com/whichcourse.

We provide the course and the exam preparation; the qualification itself is examined and awarded by CIOL. Registration windows and available language pairs change, so check the current position with CIOL before committing to a session.

CIOL recommends around 80 Guided Learning Hours for the DPSI, plus your own study, and you get 12 months' access from enrolment. To be qualified while the new contracts bed in, you're counting back from an exam date, not from October.

START YOUR DPSI LAW COURSE > Compare your enrolment options at linguisttraining.com/dpsilaw.