Government confirms seven per cent rise in police officer pay

13 July 2023

Police officers are to receive pay rises of seven per cent across all ranks after the Government accepted the recommendations of the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB). 

The offer is well short of the 17 per cent claim issued by the Police Federation and  the Government’s decision to rule out extra borrowing to fund the pay increases amid fears of stoking inflation could mean more cuts to existing services.

The current level of CPI inflation is running at 8.7 per cent and Prime Minister Rishi  Sunak - who has promised to cut it to around 5.3 per cent by the end of the year - wants to avoid increases which could fuel a wage-price spiral.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt told MPs it was “important to deliver on the Prime Minister’s priority to get debt falling and to control borrowing to avoid adding inflationary pressures and risk prolonging higher inflation”.

He said: “That means taking difficult but responsible decisions on the public finances, including public sector pay, because more borrowing is itself inflationary.”

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt ruled out further borrowing to fund police pay

Chief Secretary to the Treasury John Glen said the police pay rise would be partly covered by increasing the cost of certain visas by up to 20 per cent to create more funding for border forces, allowing the Home Office to divert some money towards police officer pay.

Responding to the announcement, Suffolk Police Federation chair Darren Harris said: “A seven per cent offer is a good deal under the current economic climate but this falls short of what we had asked for and is still below the rate of inflation so there are mixed feelings.

“The uplift will help members who are facing soaring household bills and rising prices linked to the cost of living crisis but it once again fails to address the many years of low and zero per cent pay awards an real-term cuts.

“But we would describe it as a step in the right direction and it is certainly the best pay rise we have seen for a long time.”

National chair Steve Hartshorn said: “I have no doubt that police officers will have mixed feelings – on the one hand, they will be pleased that the pay award was not as bad as some media outlets had speculated, but also disappointed that it doesn’t fully take account of inflation, as they and their families struggle with increased utility, mortgage and food costs. 

“We will continue to push for fair pay awards that take full account of inflation and recognise and reward the unique status of police officers; including the introduction of a fair, independent mechanism and negotiation process, so that we can properly sit down with government and employers to negotiate pay settlements that fully consider the risks and restrictions placed on police officers’ private and professional lives. The focus going forward needs to be on pay restoration.”