Survey reveals cost of living crisis amongst City of London Police Officers

15 May 2024

In a stark demonstration of the cost-of-living crisis, 40% of City of London Police officers surveyed said either they or a family member they live with has been to a food bank in the past year.

In addition, 36% said that in the past 12 months there had been times they had skipped meals due to a lack of money.

The Metfriendly Police Family Finance Index Report surveyed police officers and staff from around the country, including 86 City of London Police officers. The City of London Police Federation acknowledged the small sample size, but said the results were “alarming and shocking”.

When asked if they had any financial concerns at this time, 60% of City London Police respondents said yes, with 44% adding that they had missed payments on financial obligations over the past year. What’s more, 37% said they were in significant debt outside of a mortgage.

For over half of respondents (55%), this financial pressure was taking a high toll on their mental health. To try to improve their financial situation, 49% said they were doing more overtime, 17% were taking a second job and 9% were planning to leave policing.

Mike Reed, Chair of the City of London Police Federation, said: “It is shocking that such a high proportion of survey respondents from our force say they are effectively experiencing food poverty. And, alarmingly, nearly a third of our officers say they think their financial situation will get worse in the next year.

“This survey was carried out after the 2023 pay settlement, so that is clearly nowhere near enough to get our officers back on track.

“It’s just not right that some of our police officers arrive at work hungry, stressed and concerned about their family’s financial situation. These are people who put themselves in danger every day and they deserve more.”