Federation Reaction to £250 reduction in South East Allowance

13 March 2026

Today it has been announced by Kent Police that the Chief Constable will be reducing the South East Allowance paid to officers from September 2026, by £250.  

Neil Mennie, Chair of Kent Police Federation, said: "This news will stagger our courageous colleagues today. It is a pure and simple pay cut for the hard-working officers of Kent Police.

"From September, our brave colleagues will be out there doing their incredibly difficult job – protecting the public and catching criminals – for less in their pay.

"At a time when the cost of living is rocketing, how can this be right?

"Your police officers in Kent do their very best every day to protect the public – responding to the many 999 calls, attending sudden deaths, serious road collisions, tackling violent and armed offenders, as well as protecting and safeguarding the most vulnerable in our communities.

"Having money taken out of their pockets – given the already sky-high costs of living in the Garden of England – is no way to recognise that.

"Morale in Kent Police is already appalling. The latest stats from the PFEW Pay and Morale Survey show 75% of Kent Police officers feel worse off financially now than they did five years ago, and 14% say they never or almost never have enough money to cover all their essentials. And 17% of Kent Police officers said they intend to resign from the police service either ‘within the next two years’ or ‘as soon as [they] can’.

"Officers have clearly Copped Enough. 

"Officers are already 21% down on their pay when it compares to inflation since 2010. And now to be told they are going to lose another £250 a year will surely have a worrying effect on the recruitment and retention of officers.

"We would urge the Chief Constable to think again. We would urge the Police and Crime Commissioner and local MPs to intervene. We would urge the public to speak up for the county's cops.

"Police officers do not have the ability to take industrial action when our terms and conditions come under attack. We are an easy target.

"What we need is for the South East allowance – and its annual rate – to be mandated by the Government. We clearly can't leave it in the hands of Chief Constables who are being forced to balance the books with ever shrinking budgets. 

"Officers are worried about debt on a daily basis. This decision will create hardship for our members.

"We call on the Chief Constable to restore our pay to where it should be."