Acting & Temp Pay

These provisions can be found in Regulation 34 (Annex UU) and Regulation 27 (Annexes I and J) of Police Regulations 2003.

Acting up Allowance – Annex UU

Acting up arrangements are designed to meet short term needs. The acting up allowance is paid when a member acts up in a higher rank instead of being placed on temporary promotion. There is a 10 day qualifying period (in any year; a year being a 12 month period beginning on 1 April) then, from day 11, the member receives the allowance at a daily rate (or hourly rate for part-time officers and those on VSAs). The allowance is only payable for a maximum of 46 days in respect of any one continuous period of acting up. A constable or sergeant who is acting up in the rank of inspector or above is not entitled to overtime payments. If such a member is required to do duty on a rostered rest day or a public holiday he/she will not receive an acting up allowance on these days, but will instead be entitled to the appropriate public holiday or rest day rates for his/her substantive rank. As with other allowances, the acting up allowance is not pensionable.

Temporary Salary – Annex I

After 46 days of receiving the acting up allowance, if a member is not qualified for promotion* (under the Police Promotion Regulations 1996) or if the chief officer is required to respond to an overwhelming operational emergency which requires immediate application, s/he will receive temporary salary. A constable or sergeant in receipt of temporary salary whilst performing the duties of inspector or above is not entitled to overtime payments. If such a member is required to do duty on a rostered rest day or a public holiday he/she will not receive temporary salary on these days, but will instead be entitled to the appropriate public holiday or rest day rates for his/her substantive rank.

Temporary salary is pensionable. A period of temporary salary is not reckonable for pay increments in the higher rank but is reckonable as service in the substantive rank.

Temporary Promotion – Annex J

After 46 days of receiving the acting up allowance, if a member is qualified for promotion* (under the Police Promotion Regulations 1996) and the chief officer is not required to respond to an overwhelming operational emergency which requires immediate application the member will be temporarily promoted. However, temporary promotion should be used from the outset when a need has been identified which is likely to be for a lengthy period e.g. maternity leave, ill health cover or a new project. A member who has been temporarily promoted to a higher rank will be paid on the point s/he would have been entitled to if permanently promoted. Additional pay on temporary promotion is pensionable. Service in the higher rank on temporary promotion is reckonable for salary increases in both the substantive and the higher rank. Service in the higher rank counts if the member is temporarily promoted again at a later date. In 2012 PNB reached agreement on a five year limitation for service on temporary promotion counting in the higher rank. This was ratified by Home Office Circular 18/2013.

* Qualified for promotion means you have completed Stages 1-3 inclusive of the NPPF.