8 September 2021

A National Insurance increase on top of a police pay freeze will leave officers “dangerously financially vulnerable”

The Government’s decision to increase National Insurance, on top of a pay freeze for the police, will leave officers “dangerously financially vulnerable”, Dorset Police Federation has warned.

The rise in National Insurance, which the Government says is needed to pay for health and social care, is a “body blow” to all workers, Dorset Police Federation Chair James Dimmack said, but police officers will feel it particularly acutely as they did not receive a pay rise this year.

James said: “The Government’s announcement of a rise in National Insurance is a body blow to all workers out there. Coming out of a period of austerity followed by COVID restrictions, this is going to be a huge financial burden that many will not be able to bear.

“In policing terms, this comes on the back of yet another pay snub, leaving officers dangerously financially vulnerable. It is a staggering statistic that the police service is in the top-five users of payday loans. How can this be right? This hit on police income will only exacerbate this further.

“I am very conscious that this increase will affect all workers, however the compound effect of years of neglect towards police pay and, perhaps more tellingly, police appreciation and support from this Government, is taking its toll.

“We are seeing officers breaking under the strain, and morale is seriously impacted. All of this is going to have an influence on our effectiveness to perform our role. This is a time when we are attempting to ‘uplift’ police numbers. In reality, this is only replacing the officers who have left the service. We have to be mindful of the type of person who can now afford to join the police service and therefore the associated skills and abilities they may have.

Other public sector workers have received a pay rise this year, while police officers earning over £24,000 received 0%. This amounts to a real-terms cut in pay, especially as inflation is at 2%.

John Apter, Chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) tweeted: “After more than a decade of pay caps and pay freezes, now an increase of NI, police officers will be seeing a significant cut to their pay at a time when they are at breaking point, many already broken. Policing is underfunded and undervalued by this Government.”

He continued: “After stepping up during the pandemic, facing the abuse, the assaults, working in hospitals, driving ambulances, removing bodies from homes, policing almost unenforceable legislation, this is their thanks. The Government has lost the trust of my colleagues.”