PFEW calls for multi-year pay uplift backed by chair

20 March 2026

Derbyshire Police Federation chair Lisa Flanagan has backed national calls for officers to receive a minimum seven per cent pay rise in each of the next three years.

In its submission to the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB), the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) has set out the case for a sustained pay settlement for officers.

Lisa said the proposed multi-year rise was essential to restore police pay, improve morale, and address recruitment and retention challenges.

She said: “Our members have seen their pay drop by more than 20 per cent over the past decade, and another below-inflation pay settlement will see them squeezed even more.

“Some of our members are struggling to pay for their everyday essentials, and yet we demand that they run towards danger and maintain the highest levels of service.

Repair the damage

“The least they deserve is a pay award that reflects the reality of the job and begins to repair the damage of the past decade, which is what PFEW’s submission does.

“It will also go some way to ensuring policing remains an attractive and sustainable career and that we attract and retain the best people for the job.”

The Federation’s report to the PRRB comes after:

The Government’s remit letter to the PRRB made clear that recommendations must reflect affordability within existing funding settlements; and
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) indicated it would support a 3.5 per cent award only if fully funded, falling to 2.5 per cent if it is not.

PFEW national secretary John Partington said: “If affordability within existing budgets becomes the ceiling for police pay, we are guaranteeing a broken service.

“It is neither fair to officers nor affordable to the public who pay the cost in crime and reduced safety.

“A properly independent review body must determine what resources proper policing really needs, not simply how much more blood can be squeezed from the stone.

He added that it was disappointing that the NPCC had shown it was ready to accept such a low settlement.

He said: “Officers will be putting their health and their lives on the line this weekend, knowing their chiefs are recommending what is in effect a real-terms pay cut.

Living standards

“Chief constables should be honest with the people they are supposed to lead: they are endorsing another reduction in officers’ living standards, one which has obvious and severe consequences.

“You cannot demand more courage, more resilience and more personal risk while steadily reducing the value of the job.

“Brave and dedicated men and women are leaving policing in record numbers because it no longer pays enough to justify the cost to them and their families.”

Alongside its pay claim, PFEW is calling for structural reform of police remuneration, including the introduction of a military-style ‘P Factor’ recognising the unique risks, restrictions and psychological trauma inherent in policing.