UK Public Lending Right rises to 12.40p from 11.76p
From 9 February 2026, the UK’s Public Lending Right payment per library loan will rise from 11.76p to 12.40p. It’s a small change in pennies with a clear purpose: to top up the income creators receive when their work is borrowed in public libraries.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport confirmed the change through the Public Lending Right Scheme 1982 (Commencement of Variation) Order 2026 (S.I. 2026/8). The Order was signed by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Twycross, on 6 January 2026, laid before Parliament on 8 January 2026, and applies across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, as recorded on legislation.gov.uk.
Quick refresher: Public Lending Right (PLR) is the UK system that pays authors from a central fund when their books are borrowed from public libraries. Payments are based on the year’s estimated number of ‘notional loans’ for each title and a single ‘rate per loan’. The government’s note also confirms that remote loans of e‑books and audiobooks are included.
What changes in pounds and pence matters. The rate per loan goes up by 0.64p, which is a 5.4% uplift on 11.76p. If your books are borrowed 10,000 times, that adds about £64. At 50,000 loans, it’s roughly £320. That won’t rewrite anyone’s budget on its own, but it does recognise the value of library reading.
Who benefits in practice is straightforward. Authors of print books, e‑books and audiobooks whose works are borrowed in UK public libraries can receive PLR payments. Readers do not pay anything extra at the desk; the scheme is funded centrally and distributed according to the year’s borrowing estimate.
Why a short legal notice can move money is a useful civic lesson. PLR sits under the Public Lending Right Act 1979 and the Scheme first made in 1982. Ministers can vary parts of that Scheme-like the rate per loan-by statutory instrument. This Order is one of those precise adjustments with a direct financial effect.
The history matters for context. Since 1982 the Scheme has been updated several times, with the government’s note pointing to earlier variations, including one brought into force by S.I. 2025/11. Regular tweaks keep the payment rate aligned with policy choices and available funding.
If you teach media studies, English, or politics, this is a tidy case study. It shows how secondary legislation works, how a single line about ‘rate per loan’ affects author incomes, and how cultural policy includes e‑book and audiobook borrowing as part of everyday library use.
Key dates help with planning. The Order was made on 6 January 2026, laid before Parliament on 8 January 2026, and comes into force on 9 February 2026. From that date, the PLR rate used in calculations is 12.40p per loan. Watch for the change in your statements later in the year.