Government confirms 3.5% pay award for police officers

16 July 2026

The Government has confirmed that police officers in England and Wales will receive a 3.5 per cent pay award.

The award falls below the recommendation made by the independent Police Remuneration Review Body (3.9 per cent increase), prompting criticism from the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW), which says the decision fails to properly recognise the sacrifices officers make every day.

The Federation argues that, once inflation and other financial pressures are taken into account, the increase will do little to improve officers' real-term earnings.

It has also renewed calls for a fairer, independent system of pay determination, warning that continued underinvestment in police pay risks harming recruitment, retention and ultimately public safety.

Further details on the implementation of the pay award will be shared as they become available.