The health minister at the time declared he was unable to implement pay awards in the absence of an agreed Stormont budget. Northern Ireland's four-party devolved government has yet to set a budget five months into the financial year.
Stormont departments are facing a shortfall of up to £1.6bn, according to a spending watchdog. With no agreed plan, public services have been operating under contingency arrangements.
The parties have been holding talks with the UK government and Treasury in recent months in a bid to secure additional funding.