Struggling Police Officers Desperately Need Fair Pay Rise

9 March 2023

Police officers are being forced to use food banks and are taking out loans to pay for essential items, so it is crucial they receive a fair pay rise, Humberside Police Federation has said.

Chair Lee Sims made the comments as the Police Federation of England and Wales announced it would be seeking a 17% pay rise for police officers this year.

The PFEW came to the figure after a report by independent think tank Social Market Foundation showed that police officer pay had declined by 17% in real terms since 2000.

Lee said: “These figures just highlight what I and my colleagues across the country have previously told the Government, which they have ignored.

“It is not about wanting a pay rise, it is about needing one. In Humberside we set up a food bank initiative over a year ago and we’ve seen a dramatic increase in officers using it. We’ve also had people approaching the Federation and Benevolent Scheme asking for loans to pay for essential items.

“These statistics are very worrying, and I feel it’s only going to get worse unless we get a fair pay deal.

“We just want what’s right and fair, and for officers to get what they deserve, especially given the very real risk our members face every day by simply going to work.

“17% may seem high, but in real terms it’s just getting us to where we should be. I worry if we don’t get to 17%, we will continue to lose police officers.

“I speak to officers in Humberside who are resigning, and one of the reasons they are doing this is because they can get better paid jobs in other areas.

“As police officers, we don’t have the ability to strike, or have access to any form of industrial rights. If we don’t get a fair pay deal, this needs to be legally explored.

“I want all the members in Humberside to know that I’ll continue fighting for them in relation to pay, but also supporting them through these trying times.”

The SMF research also found that police pay fared badly when compared to other protective services and public sector workers, whose pay rose by 1% and 14% respectively over the same period.

The report also claimed that the decline in police pay is likely to be linked the restrictions on their right to strike.

And it added that if the current police pay trend continued, officer remuneration would drop by a further 4% in real terms by 2027.

PFEW National Chair Steve Hartshorn said: “The Government can no longer sit by and ignore our members’ basic needs and must recognise the impact of this independent research. In the context of ongoing inflation, indications of a police retention crisis, and reports of officers being forced to turn to food banks, the issue of police pay must be addressed now after more than a decade of being ignored.

“Police officers deserve to be treated with respect and dignity, and that begins with better pay. Pay that not only reflects the cost-of-living crisis that many of us face but puts right the 17% decline since 2000 and compensates officers for the dangers they’re exposed to as part of the job. They must be compensated fairly for doing a job that is so important and unique that they do not have access to industrial rights.”

The report also found that a key factor in discussions over police pay should be what it called the “P-factor”: an element of police pay that reflects the unique obligations and responsibilities police officers’ experience relative to other comparable roles. This includes their unique risk of exposure to physical and psychological harm, alongside the restrictions that are placed upon their private lives.