Pay award welcomed

22 July 2020

Hertfordshire Police Federation secretary Al Wollaston has welcomed the 2.5 per cent pay award for police officers announced by the Home Secretary yesterday.

He said it was a step forward in terms of putting right years of below-inflation awards that had seen police officer pay fall by 18 per cent in real terms during the decade of austerity measures.

“I think, particularly when you take into account the economic backdrop to this pay rise due to the coronavirus crisis, we have to take the positives from this announcement and it is significant that the Home Office has accepted in full the recommendations of the Police Remuneration Review Body, the independent organisation that advises the Government on police officer pay,” says Al.

“There were several years when this was not the case and that completely undermined the pay review process.

“This award is a step forward for us all but we still need to see better pay increases over the coming years, once the economy allows, so that police officers are fairly paid for the unique role they carry out in our communities and the very real dangers they face.”

Al expressed disappointment that the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) did not put forward any increase to the South East Allowance, which could help the Force retain and attract officers.

PRRB concluded that geographical allowances should be reviewed urgently but increased the London Weighting.

“It seems to me that we are one of the forgotten forces,” says Al, “While I agree that the South East Allowance needs to be reviewed urgently, any review just can’t come soon enough. While it stays as it is, we are losing officers attracted to the better allowances available to them in the Met and, at a time when we are in the midst of one of the biggest recruitment drives in recent years, we are also finding ourselves competing to attract new recruits.”

National Federation chair John Apter has welcomed the pay award but also acknowledged that it was simply a step in the right direction.

He said: “This is not as much as we asked for but it is more than many of our colleagues expected. And it is positive to see the Government abiding by proper process and accepting all the recommendations of the PRRB. This has not always been the case.

“We will continue to fight to get our members the pay they deserve following a real-terms cut of 18 per cent during the last decade, the effects of which have taken their toll.”

John added: “With the economic vulnerability we face as a country, many colleagues will be relieved to receive a 2.5 per cent pay increase - anything lower would have been completely unacceptable.”

The wage rise will mean a constable will receive an extra £1,100 – taking into account salary plus allowances - of pensionable salary a year from 1 September this year.

The Government also announced: 

• London Weighting and the dog handlers’ allowance would increase by 2.5 per cent too
• The lowest point on the sergeants’ pay scale would be removed
• The maximum rate of London Allowance would increase by £1,000 to £5,338 a year for officers appointed on or after 1 September 1994 and not receiving replacement allowance.

In a joint submission to PRRB, the Police Federation of England and Wales and the Police Superintendents’ Association had asked for a five per cent pay increase this year.