Government must give officers ‘substantial pay rise’

25 February 2022

Police officers should receive a pay rise of at least two per cent this year, the Home Office has told the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB).

But the Federation says this is woefully short of what officers should receive after 10 years of pay caps and last year’s pay freeze.

Rich Cooke, chair of West Midlands Police Federation, said: “You only have to consider the findings of the annual pay and morale survey which were released last week to understand the financial pressures officers are under.

“In the West Midlands, almost half of the officers who responded said they were worried about the state of their personal finances and more than one in 10 said they did not have enough money to cover their essentials. How can that be right?

“Police officers are committed to serving their communities, putting their lives on the line while doing so. They are regularly assaulted and abused by the public.

“I don’t think anyone becomes a police officer expecting to get rich, however, I do think they should be paid fairly for the risks and dangers of their role and for the critical part they play in society.

“Police officer pay has taken a massive real terms hit over the last decade including pensions, and talent retention is becoming a real problem. We need a substantial pay rise but we also need an overhaul of the pay review system because the current arrangements are satisfactory when year after year the Government can simply reject independent evidence based recommendations.”

According to the Home Office submission to PRRB, the recent funding settlement provides funding for a pay uplift of “at least two per cent” in the 2022/23 financial year.

But officers have faced a 20 per cent real terms pay cut since 2010.

Ché Donald, the national vice-chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, has expressed his disgust at the Home Office stance.

He said: “I can only assume the Home Office recommendation of a two per cent pay award to the Police Remuneration Review Body contains a typo and missed out the much needed zero after the two to make 20.

“Anything else is not just grossly unfair, it is disgusting and shows just how little this Government really values police officers.

He added: “All police officers want is fair and equitable treatment in relation to pay, this recommendation of two per cent comes at a time when inflation is running at five per cent, with National Insurance increases and spikes in energy prices. We will continue to advance our plans to challenge this pay mechanism, which quite frankly, is nothing short of subjugation and servitude.”