Student officer tells how poor pay means she is penny-counting each month

30 March 2023

“I can’t even afford a new passport at the moment, let alone a holiday to enjoy with my son,” says a West Mercia student officer who says her salary is ‘so much lower than expected’ she spends the last week of the month ‘counting every single penny’.

The student officer, who has asked not to be named, joined the police at the start of this year, having worked in her previous role for five years.

The mother says she felt there were no opportunities to develop her career in her former workplace and was looking for a role that would provide a better income for her family.

“I receive the exact same salary as a police officer as I did in my previous role, which is just above minimum wage - and literally by the pence,” says the student officer, who works full-time having welcomed her son in 2021. 

“The difference is I’m getting paid the same to do a job which requires a huge amount of responsibility, with a lot of additional pressure. At least in my previous role, I could leave my job at work. As a police officer, I can’t help but take the job home with me, after all, we spend our time protecting the public and we all see so much each day.

“And I’m not alone in how I feel, those in my cohort echo my concerns.”

After tax, pension contributions and National Insurance, she says her monthly pay packet is around £1,500.

“I wasn’t expecting a massive amount more as a police officer, but I did think I’d be coming home with an extra one or two hundred pounds a month,” she added.

“We don’t go for meals, we perhaps take my son out once a month - and we can’t even afford a passport at the moment, let alone a holiday. We are literally counting every single penny each month. It is extremely disheartening.”

She says her financial situation is also ‘straining’ her relationship with her partner, who has been forced to work six or seven days each week to bring in extra funds.

“Luckily, I have a partner who can support me but he’s definitely feeling the pressure. Every single penny I bring in at the moment is going on our bills,” said the student officer, who is sharing her story to bring attention to the low pay within the Force, especially for those who are training.

“The last 10 days of the month, our priority is feeding our son - which means me and my partner are living off the likes of beans on toast. And while we haven’t got to the point of needing food banks, it’s definitely crossed my mind that we might soon need them.”

She said that the only thing keeping her going is that there will come a time for progression at the police, ending: “This is my dream job and the only thing that keeps me motivated is that one day, I’ll be able to progress within the Force.”

West Mercia Police Federation secretary Pete Nightingale said members should contact the Federation office if they found themselves struggling financially.

He said: “Sadly this is not an isolated case and many of our members have been finding it hard to make ends meet throughout the cost of living crisis.

“We regularly signpost debt support to our members and are here to offer help and guidance wherever we can.”