"Police officers are using foodbanks" - Federation outlines why police officers finally need a good pay rise in 2022

13 December 2021

Police officers should be paid a fair wage so that they want to remain in the role and so that they are recognised properly for the difficult and dangerous job they do.

That’s the message from Cleveland Police Federation Chair Steve Williams-Reader, who was speaking after Home Secretary Priti Patel contacted the Police Remuneration Review Body with their “remit” for advising on a police officer pay rise in 2022/23.

Police officers were given no pay rise in 2021 when the Home Secretary tied the PRRB’s hands under the guise of public sector pay restraint. Either way, whatever the PRRB advises Government, it is up to the Home Secretary to decide what the police officer pay rise award should be.

In her letter to the PRRB, The Home Secretary states: “I ask that your recommendations and observations are considered in the context of the Government’s commitment to increase police officer numbers by 20,000 over three years” and “The Government must balance the need to ensure fair pay for public sector workers with protecting funding for frontline services and ensuring affordability for taxpayers’”.

Steve said: “We are already behind on the pay increases. The risks that officers are facing every day to keep the community safe, they just need to be treated fairly, that’s all we ask for. To give us the pay that we deserve. When things go wrong, everybody calls us. We need to be treated with the same respect from that respect as well.

“I’m hearing of officers using foodbanks to feed themselves and their families. This is... It’s Christmas 2021, there’ll be officers now who are struggling and worrying over bringing home presents for the children, the impact that it’s having on the family and their wellbeing, we need to get this acted on straight away. We need the support, we need to give our officers what they’re entitle to. We need our pay bringing back up to where it should be.”

Both the Police Federation of England and Wales and Superintendents’ Association have backed out the PRRB process following last year’s pay freeze.