“The news that 32% of police officers are thinking of leaving the service due to financial insecurity should be keeping the Government up at night,” the Chair of Cumbria Police Federation has said.

Ed Russell was speaking after Police Friendly published its latest Police Family Finance Index Report, which found that police officers were so financially insecure that  54% planned to do more overtime to make ends meet, 16% were considering doing a second job, and 32% were thinking of changing their job and leaving the police.

The survey also found that 46% of respondents had considered opting out of their pension in the past 12 months, with 7% going on to stop contributions altogether. Shockingly, the report, based on over 13,500 responses, found that 15% of police officers were missing meals due to lack of money.

Police Friendly said the findings pointed to a growing trend driven by the cost-of-living crisis, with rising housing costs, inflation and stagnant real-term pay forcing many officers to make difficult short-term financial decisions – often at the expense of their future.

Officers aged under 35 were significantly more likely to both consider and act on pension opt-outs, highlighting a potential long-term generational impact on retirement outcomes.

Nearly four in 10 officers said they were in significant debt when their housing costs were included. Over two thirds (68%) reported financial concerns, and over half (56%) said their financial situation had worsened over the past year.

Andy Rhodes, Service Director of the National Police Wellbeing Service, said that multiple key stakeholders needed to collaboratively address the key issues around financial instability, and that there was confidential and independent help out there for officers.

Cumbria Police Federation Chair Ed Russell said: “The news that 32% of police officers are thinking of leaving the service due to financial insecurity should be keeping the Government up at night. Effective policing is essential for a well-ordered society.

“It was only a year ago that attrition rates in Cumbria crept up to nearly 10%, which is staggering. These rates have thankfully stabilised, but more needs to be done to retain the hard-working and dedicated officers serving communities across the country.

“Pay is a big part of this equation, and one we have been campaigning the Government on for years but, as addressed by Andy Rhodes, this needs a collaborative approach to deal with officers’ needs and allow them to continue to serve the public they swore to protect.”

You can see the Police Federation of England and Wales submission to the PRRB here https://polfed.org/news/latest-news/2026/police-pay-2026-our-evidence-to-prrb/