Police finance
A collection of police finance documents.
Police forces in England and Wales are each given funding from 3 main sources:
- Home Office
- Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) or the Welsh Assembly Government
- police precept component of local council tax
Since 2013 to 2014, DCLG formula funding was paid to local policing bodies by the Home Secretary. This is as a result of the government’s decision that local policing bodies should be funded from outside the business rates retention scheme.
In addition to government grants and police precept, police and crime commissioners also generate income from charging for policing commercial events (this includes sporting and entertainment but excludes charity and some small community events) and from investments (both interest and dividends).
Police financial reserves by force area
Police and Crime Commissioners hold financial reserves to help manage financial risk and to fund future costs.
Police financial reserve levels from 2011 to 2021
Police allocation formula
The main police grant was distributed using the needs-based police allocation formula in 2013 to 2014.
Since then it has been distributed by the current methodology of applying uniform percentage changes to core grant funding for each PCC.
Police grant allocations: 2024 to 2025
Police grant allocations: 2023 to 2024
Police grant allocations: 2022 to 2023
Police grant allocations: 2021 to 2022
Police grant allocations: 2020 to 2021
Police grant allocations: 2019 to 2020
Police grant allocations: 2018 to 2019
Police grant allocations: 2017 to 2018
Police grant allocations: 2016 to 2017
Police grant allocations: 2015 to 2016
Police grant allocations: 2014 to 2015
Police grant allocations between 2010 to 2011 and 2013 to 2014
Historical police revenue funding between 1995 to 1996 and 2009 to 2010
Community safety fund
The community safety fund is for police and crime commissioners to tackle drugs and crime, reduce re-offending and improve community safety in their force area.
Financial management code of practice
The revised Financial Management Code of Practice was laid in Parliament in July 2018.
The code provides clarity around the financial governance arrangements for Police and Crime Commissioners and police forces in England and Wales. It also applies to Police and Crime Commissioners in England who are also Fire and Rescue Authorities under section 4A of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004.
Previous versions of the code are available on the National Archives website.
Updates to this page
Last updated 31 January 2024 + show all updates
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Updated the section Police grant allocations: 2024 to 2025
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Added the provisional allocations of grants to police and crime commissioners in England and Wales for 2023 to 2024 and the consultation on these grants.
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Added links to pages on 2023 to 2024 police grants in England and Wales.
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Added provisional police grant allocations for 2023 to 2024.
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Added links to pages on 2022 to 2023 police grants in England and Wales.
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Information on provisional allocations for 2022 to 2023 added.
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Final allocations of grants to police and crime commissioners in England and Wales for 2021 to 2022 published.
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Added police grants in England and Wales report for 2021 to 2022.
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Added police grants in England and Wales: 2020 to 2021.
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Added Police grants in England and Wales: 2019 to 2020.
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Published Provisional police grant report: 2019 to 2020.
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Updated financial management code of practice.
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Details of reserves held by police forces since 2011 and police grant information for 2018-2019 published.
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Consultation launched on funding in 2018 to 2019.
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The police grant report (England and Wales) 2017 to 2018 report has been published.
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Provisional grant for 2017-2018 published.
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Provisional police grant report 2016 to 2017 published.
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Addition of Provisional police grant report 2015 to 2016
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Final police allocations for 2014 to 2015 released.
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Provisional police grant report 2014 to 2015 and related mininsterial statement released
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First published.