1. Executive summary

1. The government values the vital contribution of police officers across the country who work tirelessly to keep us safe every single day. Police officers have a crucial role to play in delivering the government’s manifesto commitments to restore neighbourhood policing and keep our streets safe.

2. The 2025/26 police funding settlement provides funding of up to £19.6 billion for the policing system in England and Wales^{[footnote 1]}. This is an overall increase of up to £1.1 billion when compared to the 2024/25 settlement. Total funding to police forces will be up to £17.5 billion, an increase of up to £1.1 billion compared to the 2024/25 police funding settlement. Of this increase £500 million is earmarked for a specific purpose with the remainder available to support underlying cost pressures.

3. The Home Secretary’s remit letter refers the follow matters to the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) in the 2025/26 pay round:

• How to apply the pay award for the chief police officer ranks^{[footnote 2]}.
• To consider proposals resulting from year one of the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s (NPCC) review of allowances, for those that apply to the chief officer ranks, taking into account the views of policing stakeholders.

4. When making recommendations on the remuneration for chief police officers, we ask that the SSRB has regard to the views of the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) in respect of officers in the federated and superintending ranks.

2. Pay proposals

Economic context

5. HM Treasury’s economic evidence to the Pay Review Bodies^{[footnote 3]} highlights that the rate of UK economic growth since the global financial crisis (GFC) of 2008 has been substantially lower than in previous decades. Annual real productivity growth (GDP per hour worked) fell by around 1.5%, from an average of 2.1% in the decade prior to the GFC, to 0.6% between 2010 and 2019. Higher productivity enables higher wages and living standards. Only sustained productivity growth over the medium-term can deliver sustainable long-run economic growth and real-terms wage rises.

6. The government is fixing the foundations of the economy and beginning a decade of national renewal. Through the growth mission, the government is restoring stability, increasing investment, and reforming the economy to drive up prosperity and living standards across the UK.

7. The UK economy has faced unprecedented shocks, including the pandemic and Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, which contributed to the largest increase in inflation in almost 50 years. Low and stable price inflation is an essential element of a stable macroeconomic environment, and a pre-requisite for sustainable economic growth and improving living standards. Inflation is normalising after these shocks and is expected to remain close to the 2.0% target throughout the Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) forecast period, and average 2.6% across 2025/26.

8. The UK economy is exposed to risks from geopolitical tensions, shifts in global trade, global spillovers from declining demand in China, and any sudden increases in financial market volatility which could tighten financial conditions. Overall, risks are elevated and skewed to the downside.

Labour market context

9. HM Treasury’s evidence also provides a summary of the labour market context. Settlement data are the most comparable data to Pay Review Body decisions, as they are a direct measure of consolidated pay awards and are not directly affected other factors such as changes to working hours or changes in the composition of employment. According to Brightmine, median settlements across the economy were at 4.8% in the second quarter of 2024 and 4.0% in the third quarter. The OBR’s forecast is for average earnings growth to average 4.5% across 2024/25 – although this measure of average earnings growth has historically been higher than average pay settlements, as it is affected by compositional changes in the labour force and factors such as changes to working hours. Against both of these, the 2024/25 award for police officers is ahead of the wider economy, which should support recruitment and retention.

10. Average earnings growth is forecast to moderate further over the coming months, with the OBR expecting earnings growth to fall to 3.0% in 2025/26. Survey evidence also points to an easing in wage growth, with Brightmine’s survey showing that settlements are expected to average 3.0% in 2025. It is important that Pay Review Bodies consider forecasts for wage growth when making their recommendations.

11. While the unemployment rate is low by historical standards, there is substantial uncertainty around the position of the labour market due to ongoing issues with the Labour Force Survey. Other sources suggest that the labour market continues to loosen, with vacancy levels falling, and employee numbers falling in recent months. A loosening labour market should continue to support recruitment and retention across the public sector.

Basic pay

12. For 2025/26, total funding to police forces will be up to £17.5 billion, an increase of up to £1.1 billion compared to the 2024/25 police funding settlement. Of this increase, almost £500 million is earmarked for specific purposes, including commencing the first steps to deliver the 13,000 increase in neighbourhood policing, funding to London forces through the National and International Capital City grant (NICC) for the additional costs of policing the capital, and funding to support the costs arising as a result of the changes to National Insurance. The remaining additional funding is comprised of unconditional grant funding and precept income which are not earmarked for a specific purpose, and can therefore support with underlying cost pressures in 2025/26, which have grown substantially in recent years.

13. Earnings growth from quarter 4 of 2025 to quarter 3 of 2026, which more closely reflects the police pay year, which is effective from 1 September, is forecast to be around 2.1%.^{[footnote 4]} The Home Office anticipates that an award of 2.8% is appropriate, as it will ensure police officer pay remains competitive, while also delivering a real terms pay rise in the context of CPI forecasts of 2.4% from quarter 4 of 2025 to quarter 3 of 2026. This will still require the delivery of significant efficiency savings and challenging prioritisation decisions for many forces.

14. An award above 2.8% would require challenging and difficult financial reprioritisation for both policing and the government to manage the pressures that would materialise. This would follow three years of above affordability pay awards, compounded by the impact of the growth in officer numbers as these officers move up the pay scales. To afford these awards, forces have had to make savings on non-pay budgets but also workforce reductions. The government has also had to reprioritise funding from other programmes to provide additional support. Financial pressures remain a significant concern for the majority of forces for 2025/26, and there will already be some challenging trade-offs, including on workforce numbers and mix, at a local level to set a balanced budget even with the increased funding in the police settlement.

15. The 2024/25 consolidated pay award of 4.75% to all ranks and pay points was above affordability and created an unfunded, unaffordable pressure for policing. Difficult decisions and trade-offs were required within the Home Office to reprioritise budgets to release funding of £175 million to support forces with the additional costs associated with the award. This followed pay awards of 7% in 2023/24 and £1,900 in 2022/23 (equivalent to 0.6% to 1.8% for the chief officer ranks) which were also above affordability, requiring additional funding of c.£1.2 billion from the Home Office.

16. HM Treasury has been clear that there will be no additional funding to departments for pay awards in 2025/26. As set out at the Autumn Budget^{[footnote 5]}, where Pay Review Bodies recommend pay awards above the level departments have budgeted for, the Government will have to consider the justification - for example, where there are especially acute recruitment and retention demands, or where productivity improvements can unlock further funding.

17. Any additional funding that the Home Office would be required to provide to support the pay award, above that which has already been designated, would impact directly on its ability to deliver across the department’s priorities as a whole. Difficult reprioritisation decisions have already been made across the department to help reach the current proposal, and any settlement above this would be extremely challenging.

18. We have not received robust evidence to suggest there are issues with recruitment and retention for specific chief police officer ranks that would require targeted pay awards. Furthermore, a new pay structure for chief constables and deputy chief constables is currently being implemented. It will take time for the impact of this to be seen.

19. Further affordability assessments will be undertaken when the SSRB submits its recommendations.

London Weighting

20. London Weighting has historically increased in line with annual pay awards. We ask the SSRB to consider the evidence put forward by policing partners on whether there is a case for increasing this in 2025/26. Any increase must be funded from within existing allocations.

21.  When reviewing London Weighting for chief police officers, we ask that the SSRB has regard to the views of the PRRB in respect of officers in the federated and superintending ranks.

Allowances

22. The Home Secretary’s remit letter asks the SSRB to consider proposals resulting from year one of the NPCC’s review of allowances, for those that apply to the chief police officer ranks, taking into account the views of policing stakeholders. Again, any increases must be funded from within existing allocations.

23. When considering allowances that also apply to officers in the federated and superintending ranks, we ask that the SSRB has regard to the views of the PRRB.

3. Context

Senior policing in England and Wales

24.  There are 43 territorial or ‘Home Office’ police forces in England and Wales, that largely follow the same geographical boundaries of the administrative counties used for the purposes of local government from 1974 to 1989, with some notable exceptions.

25. The operating environment of different forces can vary significantly by area. His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) provides comprehensive information about each force on their website through its Value for Money profiles, PEEL (police efficiency, effectiveness and legitimacy) assessments and other inspection publications.

26. The size and make-up of the police workforce is a matter for each chief constable to decide locally in conjunction with their Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC)^{[footnote 6]}. In London, the Mayor exercises functions equivalent to a PCC for the Metropolitan police force area. In Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and York and North Yorkshire, the respective Mayors also exercise PCC or equivalent functions. The City of London Police has some special arrangements to acknowledge their historic status. The Common Council for the City of London is the police authority for the City of London Police.

27. Each force has a chief constable (or a commissioner in the case of the Metropolitan and the City of London forces) who has overall responsibility for the operational and employment decisions of that force. The chief constable is accountable to the PCC but the PCC cannot give operational orders.

28. Section 37A of the Police Act 1996 requires the Home Secretary to articulate the national threats that the police must address and the policing capabilities required to counter those threats. Chief constables are required to have regard to the Strategic Policing Requirement (SPR) in exercising their roles. PCCs are required to hold chiefs to account for the delivery of the SPR and have regard to it when producing their police and crime plans. The SPR does not cover areas where chief constables and PCCs are able to make effective local risk assessments.

29. The Policing Protocol Order 2011, issued in accordance with the requirements of section 79 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act, set out how policing governance relationships should work, including the role of the Home Secretary, and clarified the roles and responsibilities of PCCs, chief constables and police and crime panels.

30. Following consultation with relevant parties, the Policing Protocol Order 2023^{[footnote 7]}, which came into force on 3 July 2023, ensures that the roles and responsibilities within policing are accurately reflected and better reflect the Home Secretary’s role in the policing system. This includes the Home Secretary’s role in setting the strategic direction on national policing policy and their ability to request information about policing matters as part of their duty to be accountable to Parliament for safeguarding the public and protecting national security.

31. Other changes included more plainly outlining when a police and crime panel may require a chief constable to attend a meeting; introducing more clarity and consistency in relation to PCCs’ financial delegation to chief constables to ensure this does not ‘interfere’ with operational independence by constraining day-to-day management of allocated budgets; and some simple changes that reflect how the system has evolved since the Policing Protocol’s inception, such as updating the current names of relevant parties as well as reflecting that some mayors now exercise PCC functions.

Police reform

32. On 19 November 2024, the Home Secretary announced an ambitious programme of reform to policing, marking the start of a new partnership between the Government and policing^{[footnote 8]}.

33. The reforms will restore community patrols with a Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee and an enhanced role for PCCs to prevent crime. The changes will also ensure that policing has the national capabilities it needs to fight fast-changing, complex crimes which cut across police force boundaries. The reforms are part of a strategic reset in the relationship between the government and policing, with the Home Office taking a more active role in working with policing leaders to drive improvements, including in performance, efficiency and productivity, and ensure policing is set up to succeed rather than frustrated by weak national structures.

34. The Home Secretary and police system leaders will consult on establishing a new National Centre for Policing, to drive excellence across policing. While work is underway to determine the scope and scale of the unit, it is expected to include specialist and supportive functions like forensics, aviation and IT, making sure policing is better equipped to meet the changing nature of crime. National arrangements on procurement will also generate savings to reinvest into frontline policing.

35. A new Police Performance Framework will be drawn up between policing and the Home Office to monitor and improve performance across the country. This meets a long-standing recommendation of HMICFRS. The framework will sit within a new Police Performance Unit in the Home Office.

36. The Home Office will work with policing to improve access to high-quality force-level data tracking local performance in priority areas like knife crime and violence against women and girls. Ministers will work in collaboration with the College of Policing, HMICFRS and PCCs to ensure good practice is replicated and there is effective intervention when forces are failing.

37. Through a Written Ministerial Statement in November 2024, working closely and in partnership with policing, the Home Secretary announced an intention to publish a Police Reform White Paper this year. Legislation will follow as soon as Parliamentary time allows. The White Paper will outline plans for bold and comprehensive reforms to policing, including structural challenges and rebalancing responsibilities, mechanisms to improve performance, and workforce reforms, including to culture and leadership.

38. The White Paper will explore why reform is necessary. It will look at the issues within the current system such as a lack of efficiency, a lack of data, the absence of an agreed performance framework, a lack of coordination and national strategic centre and a weak focus on crime prevention. It will cover issues such as technology, the future workforce, and how the policing system can work better to tackle fast changing crime.

Police funding

39. In 2025/26, total funding to police forces will be up to £17.5 billion, an increase of up to £1.1 billion compared to the 2024/25 police funding settlement. This includes a £757.1 million increase in government grant funding to police forces, which includes:

• £230.3 million to support forces with the increase to the changes to employer National Insurance Contributions as set out by the Chancellor in the Autumn Budget. This will be allocated by total workforce headcount shares as at 31 March 2024.
• £339.0 million increase in core grant, including funding previously held within the ringfenced grant, and additional funding previously announced on 19 November 2024 of £264.0 million.
• £200.0 million to deliver the first steps of this government’s Neighbourhood Policing Commitment in 2025-26.
• £65 million increase to the National and International Capital City grant to reflect the challenges faced in London.
• Up to £329.8 million additional funding from council tax precept, based on current forecasts and assuming all PCCs maximise their precept flexibility.

40.  The figures above include the flexibility for PCCs to increase precept by up to £14 for a Band D equivalent property (for English forces). PCCs may go further should they wish by holding a local referendum.

4. Chief police officer workforce

Leadership

41.  Following the launch of the College of Policing’s National Centre for Police Leadership (NCPL) in June 2023, work has continued to ensure a strong pipeline of leaders at all levels and improve the quantity and diversity of talent available for senior appointments in policing. The NCLP’s national leadership standards are now supported by the Police Leadership Programme (PLP), which is a development framework providing programmes that seek to develop talent and progression against each of the established leadership standards. All stages of the PLP were launched by April 2024 following the introduction of the Senior Leaders Programme. As part of the PLP, the College of Policing also launched a new Executive Leadership Programme to replace the Strategic Command Course. The new, modernised programme has switched the focus to development followed by assessment, which aims to effectively identify talent and those ready for chief police officer roles. In addition to this work, the College of Policing updated the national guidance for appointing chief police officers in February 2024 to ensure fair and appropriate processes are followed in the appointment of chief police officers in England and Wales.

42. The NCPL’s new Fast Track Inspector to Superintendent Programme began in May 2024, to enable the most talented serving police inspectors to advance more quickly to superintendent rank. As part of the College’s ongoing work it continues to explore options for a viable and sustainable delivery model for Direct Entry pathways in the future, if there is clear demand from forces. Following further consultation with the sector last year, it was determined that demand was not yet sufficient to run the programme at either inspector or superintendent rank. The Home Office also continues to fund Police Now, which run a successful frontline leadership programme for existing officers, to help them reach sergeant and inspector level.

Appointments

43. The Secretary of State’s determination “Annex B – Appointment of Senior Officers”, made under Regulation 11 of the Police Regulations 2003, specifies that the Senior Police National Assessment Centre and the Strategic Command Course or the Police Leadership Programme: Stage 5 (Executive leaders) must be satisfactorily completed before a person may be substantively appointed to a rank higher than that of chief superintendent.

44. The College of Policing holds records of officers who have passed these courses which should be requested by those responsible for appointing chief police officers in order to verify policing qualifications and experience.

45. It is entirely a matter for PCCs to make decisions around appointing, suspending and removing chief constables, as set out in section 38 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011. As part of their role in supporting PCCs and chief constables the College of Policing have developed guidance and a toolkit for making senior appointments. The College also support PCCs by providing details of career history, skills and qualifications, in order to ensure that PCCs have as much information they need to appoint chief constables.

46. The commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service is appointed by Royal Warrant based on the recommendation of the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State is required to have regard to any recommendations made by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime. The deputy commissioner is appointed by Royal Warrant based on the recommendation of the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State must have regard to any recommendations made by the commissioner and any representations from the Mayor’s Office.

47. The commissioner of the City of London Police is appointed by the City of London Corporation and the City of London’s Common Council, with the approval of the King.

48. The chief constable is responsible for the recruitment of other chief police officers. Sections 39 and 40 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 relate to the appointment of deputy chief constables and assistant chief constables by chief constables for forces across England and Wales outside London. Sections 45, 46 and 47 of the Act make provision for the appointment of senior Metropolitan Police Service officers including assistant commissioners, deputy assistant commissioners and commanders respectively.

49. The commissioner must consult the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime before appointing an assistant commissioner, deputy assistant commissioner or commander. The chief constable must consult the PCC before appointing a person to be deputy chief constable or assistant chief constable for forces outside London. It is for the chief constable (and commissioner) to decide how they wish to run their appointment process and which candidate they wish to appoint. They should involve an independent member during assessment, short-listing and interviewing of candidates.

50. Chief constables and deputy chief constables (and, in the Metropolitan Police Service, the commissioner, deputy commissioner, assistant commissioners and deputy assistant commissioners, as well as assistant commissioners in the City of London Police) are appointed in post for a fixed term. Regulation 11 of the Police Regulations 2003 makes provision for fixed term appointments and subsequent extensions. The initial fixed term appointments can be for up to five years, and thereafter extended by a further three years. Beyond that, appointments can only be made annually.

51. The College of Policing offers a range of services to help a PCC in their search for a chief constable. This includes helping to maximise the pool of potential candidates and ensuring the right candidate is identified; supporting the delivery of a process which is objectively seen to be fair and open; and ensuring that PCCs can fulfil their statutory functions in accordance with the regulations that govern appointments.

52. The College of Policing has developed new guidance for appointing chief police officers. This guidance is also applicable to chief constables when appointing a deputy chief constable or assistant chief constable. More information can be found on the College of Policing website and in the selection and appointment of chief police officers circular.

53. The guidance sets out that individuals on the Executive Leaders Programme, or individuals who have been supported to start the programme but are yet to do so can be appointed into chief police officer roles on a temporary basis. An individual who is appointed temporarily into a chief police officer role must commence the Executive Leaders Programme within 12 months of temporary appointment or at the next available opportunity if not already on the programme.

Diversity

54. Police forces that reflect the communities they serve are crucial to tackling crime and maintaining public trust and confidence in a modern diverse society. 35.4% of the police officer workforce are female and 8.4% are from ethnic minority backgrounds.

55. However, females and those from ethnic minority backgrounds are significantly underrepresented in the chief police officer ranks. As at 31 March 2024, of the 245 (full- time equivalent) chief police officers in England and Wales, 28.6% are female and 4.4% are from ethnic minority backgrounds^{[footnote 9]}.

Morale and wellbeing

56. This government has been clear that it will continue to support the wellbeing of all who work or have previously worked in policing. We continue to support the Police Covenant, and will work with policing partners to make sure that it is properly implemented and respected, and that police officers and staff have the appropriate support in place to thrive in their careers and continue to serve the public. Through the Police Covenant, and led by the Chief Medical Officer, all forces now meet the new Occupational Health foundation level standards. We continue to fund the National Police Wellbeing Service (NPWS) which provides evidence-based guidance, advice, tools and resources to support forces and individual officers. The NPWS is helping forces to identify where there is most risk of impacts on mental health, and developing work around building resilience, as well as putting in place support for those who need it. This Government has been clear that it will continue to support the wellbeing of all who work or have previously worked in policing. This includes support for the Police Covenant and the Home Office will work with policing partners to make sure that it is properly implemented and respected, and that all police officers and staff have the appropriate support in place to thrive in their careers and serve the public.

57. The Home Office continues to fund the National Police Wellbeing Service (NPWS) which provides evidence-based guidance, advice, tools and resources to support forces and individual officers. The NPWS is helping forces to identify where there is most risk of impacts on mental health, and developing work around building resilience, as well as putting in place support for those who need it.

58. The Home Office welcomes the new national strategy for police health and wellbeing which was developed under the banner of the Police Covenant and launched in July by the Chief Medical Officer for Policing and the National Police Wellbeing Service. This sets out clear standards for the sector to help forces build world class wellbeing support for all who work for them. It aims to promote good health and wellbeing through strong leadership and a culture of wellbeing. At the same time, work continues to be progressed within the Home Office and the College of Policing to better integrate wellbeing into wider police leadership reforms.

5. Chief police officer pay and conditions

59. Pay, allowances and conditions of service for police officers are set out in the Police Regulations 2003 and determinations made thereunder. Allowances cannot be paid except as provided for in the Regulations or approved by the Home Secretary.

Pay structures

Chief constables and deputy chief constables

60. Since 1 September 2003, chief constables and deputy chief constables (and their Metropolitan Police Service equivalents) have received spot rate salaries.

61. In July 2023, the previous government accepted the PRRB’s recommendation to reduce the pay groups for chief constables and deputy chief constables from 12 to three. Implementation of the new pay structure (attached at Annex B) began on 1 June 2024 and will take place over two-years.

62. It will take time for the impact of the new structure to be seen. However, it is expected that it will help to increase the flow of talent into the chief police officer ranks and enable greater mobility by reducing the pay differentials between forces. It will also reduce the pay differential between assistant chief constables and deputy chief constables in smaller forces.

Metropolitan Police Service

63. The Metropolitan Police Service has five ranks at chief police officer level. In order of hierarchy the ranks are: commissioner; deputy commissioner; assistant commissioner; deputy assistant commissioner and commander. With the exception of commander, all receive spot rate salaries.

City of London Police

64. The City of London Police has three ranks at chief police officer level. In order of hierarchy the ranks are: commissioner; assistant commissioner and commander. The commissioner and assistant commissioner receive spot rate salaries.

65. Chief police officer ranks in the City of London Police were excluded from the review of chief police officer remuneration and the proposals that were submitted to the PRRB in the 2023/24 pay round. Concerns have been raised that the spot rate salaries for the commissioner and assistant commissioner are no longer aligned to other chief police officer ranks.

66. We welcome views from the SSRB on whether adjustments are required to the spot rates for these ranks based on the evidence provided by policing partners.

City of London Police

67. The City of London Police has three ranks at chief police officer level. In order of hierarchy the ranks are: commissioner; assistant commissioner and commander. The commissioner and assistant commissioner receive spot rate salaries.

68. Chief police officer ranks in the City of London Police were excluded from the review of chief police officer remuneration and the proposals that were submitted to the PRRB in the 2023/24 pay round. Concerns have been raised that the spot rate salaries for the commissioner and assistant commissioner are no longer aligned to other chief police officer ranks.

69. We welcome views from the SSRB on whether adjustments are required to the spot rates for these ranks based on the evidence provided by policing partners.

Table 1: Median basic pay by year for assistant chief constables and commanders

	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
In London	£103,635	£116,319	£111,138	£111,300	£121,810
Outside London	£102,250	£113,761	£115,714	£112,151	£120,293

Source: Home Office analysis of the Police Workforce Census, 31 March 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.

Note: Year-on-year comparisons of earnings should be treated with caution due changes in the composition of the workforce over time.

69. The Government accepted the SSRB’s recommendation in the last pay round to award chief police officers a 4.75% consolidated increase, with effect from 1 September 2024. This was applied across all chief police officer ranks and forces.

Allowances

70. A summary of allowances and expenses that chief police officers may be eligible for are attached at Annex C.

71. The NPCC developed a schedule for a review of all allowances, that included timescales and a priority order. It proposed reviewing all allowances over a three-year period from financial year 2024/25 and that each one will then be reviewed on a cyclical basis and at least every five years. The schedule was submitted to the SSRB for consideration in the last pay round.

72. The Home Secretary’s remit letter asks the SSRB to consider proposals resulting from year one of the review of allowances for those that apply to chief police officers, taking into account the views of policing stakeholders.

73. In the 2023 pay round, the PRRB recommended a rental allowance should be introduced to for chief police officers as an alternative to relocation expenses. Relocation rental expenses were introduced on 1 January 2025 and provide PCCs and chief constables with flexibility to offer rental expenses where a chief police officer is unable to permanently relocate force areas. It includes the cost of suitable accommodation and ancillary costs associated with the rental including council tax, utilities and tax liabilities, and is tapered in years three to five. The scheme will be limited and only be used to address domestic circumstances or caring responsibilities and not simply because a chief police officer did not want to sell their house and move to their new workplace. It is expected the allowance will support chief police officer mobility between forces. The impact of allowance will be reviewed after three-years.

74. The table below shows median total earnings for assistant chief constables and commanders since 2020. Deputy chief constables and chief constables (and equivalent ranks in the Metropolitan Police Service and City of London Police) are excluded as their salaries vary widely.

Table 2: Median total earnings (which includes basic pay and allowances) by year for assistant chief constables and commanders

	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
In London	£123,573	£132,182	£126,126	£120,721	£140,133
Outside London	£106,435	£118,009	£119,200	£117,764	£123,126

Source: Home Office analysis of the Police Workforce Census, 31 March 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.

Note: Year-on-year comparisons of earnings should be treated with caution due changes in the composition of the workforce over time.

Pensions

75. A key benefit of working in the public sector is access to the appropriate pension schemes. Police officers are entitled to membership of a defined benefit pension scheme, a guaranteed inflation-linked pension for life, based on salary and years worked. Members benefit from employer contributions of 35.3%. This compares to most private sector employees who receive defined contribution pensions, and for whom employer contributions are significantly lower. Employer contributions are less than 10% for the majority of employees^{[footnote 10]}.

76. Annual employer pension contributions for an assistant chief constable on pay point 1 are £42,533, and £81,613 for a chief constable at the top of pay group 3.

77. The pension scheme provides an ill-health pension for members. There is also a separate scheme that provides injury benefits where a police officer is no longer able to be a police officer due to an injury received in the line of duty. The pension also comes with ancillary benefits, for example, spouse/partner pensions, child pensions and a death in service lump sum.

78. All serving and new police officers are entitled to membership of the 2015 scheme only.

79. The police pension schemes are administered by the 43 separate police forces in England and Wales. Based on the latest scheme valuation data (as of 31 March 2020), there are 120,000 active police pension scheme members and 168,000 pensioner members who are in receipt of their pension.

Member contributions structure

80. On 20 November 2024, the Home Office launched a formal consultation on amendments to the Police Pension Regulations 2015^{[footnote 11]}. The consultation seeks views on proposed changes to the structure of member contributions, with a view to continuing to encourage participation in the Scheme.

81. Since 1 April 2012, there have been three tiers for member contribution rates for the police pension schemes, including the 2015 Police Pension Scheme when it was introduced. Pensionable pay thresholds for each are established and a contribution rate is set for each tier. The member pays a contribution rate based on their full-time equivalent pay. The pay thresholds on each of the tiers have not been revised since 1 April 2015 and therefore do not reflect the current pay scales.

82. The consultation provides an opportunity to consider potential changes to the current contribution structure, which may include rates payable at each level, differences between rates in different tiers, pay tier boundaries, and the number of tiers.

McCloud/Sargeant

83. In 2011, the Independent Public Service Pensions Commission, undertaken by Lord Hutton, was published identifying that public sector pensions schemes needed to be sustainable, affordable in the long term, and fair to the public service workforce and taxpayers. This resulted in the introduction of new public sector pension schemes coming into force in April 2015 and different timetables for the workforce to transition into the scheme based on age. Courts later determined that the transitional protection for members was discriminatory under the McCloud/Sargeant ruling.

84. The McCloud/Sargeant remedy was delivered in two stages: the first, to bring the discrimination to an end (the prospective remedy) from 1 April 2022, and the second, to remedy the discrimination that had taken place between 1 April 2015 and 31 March 2022 (the retrospective remedy).

85. To implement the retrospective remedy in respect of policing, the Police Pensions (Remediable Service) Regulations 2023 were made in accordance with the Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Act 2022 (PSPJOA).

86. The retrospective remedy is mainly resolved by making payments out of the pension scheme to “correct benefits” and payments described by the PSPJOA as compensation (for tax purposes). Both of these types of payments can attract interest under the remedy and their tax treatment may differ depending on a member’s choice of benefits. The Home Office is working with HM Treasury and HM Revenue and Customs to support the resolution of a number of technical and complex tax issues arising from the remedy process.

Severance

87. A PCC may compel a chief constable to resign or retire under section 38(3) of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011. Schedule 8 of the Act 2011, alongside Regulation 11A of the Police Regulations 2003, as inserted by the Police (Amendment) Regulations 2011, together specify the detailed procedure to be followed where a PCC proposes to call on a chief police officer of police to retire or resign. Section 48 of the Act set out the provisions for the suspension of the commissioner and deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service.

Annex A: Home Secretary’s remit letter

Accessible version available at Remit letter to the Senior Salaries Review Body for chief police officers: 2025 to 2026.

Annex B: Current pay scales

Chief constables

Current force weighting	Force	With effect from 1 September 2024	With effect from 1 June 2025
	GROUP 1	£231,198	£231,198
10.0	Greater Manchester	£231,198	£231,198
10.0	West Midlands	£231,198	£231,198
8.5	West Yorkshire	£223,563	£231,198
6.5	Thames Valley	£217,839	£231,198
	GROUP 2	£200,652	£200,652
6.0	Merseyside	£200,652	£200,652
6.0	Northumbria	£200,652	£200,652
5.5	Hampshire	£198,744	£200,652
5.0	Devon and Cornwall	£196,839	£200,652
5.0	Kent	£196,839	£200,652
5.0	Lancashire	£196,839	£200,652
4.5	Avon and Somerset	£194,931	£200,652
4.5	Essex	£194,931	£200,652
4.5	South Wales	£194,931	£200,652
4.5	South Yorkshire	£194,931	£200,652
4.5	Sussex	£194,931	£200,652
	GROUP 3	£181,575	£181,575
3.5	Nottinghamshire	£181,575	£181,575
3.0	Cheshire	£179,667	£181,575
3.0	Derbyshire	£179,667	£181,575
3.0	Hertfordshire	£179,667	£181,575
3.0	Humberside	£179,667	£181,575
3.0	Leicestershire	£179,667	£181,575
3.0	Staffordshire	£179,667	£181,575
3.0	West Mercia	£179,667	£181,575
2.5	Norfolk	£177,753	£181,575
2.5	Surrey	£177,753	£181,575
2.0	Bedfordshire	£175,851	£181,575
2.0	Cambridgeshire	£175,851	£181,575
2.0	Cleveland	£175,851	£181,575
2.0	Dorset	£175,851	£181,575
2.0	Durham	£175,851	£181,575
2.0	Gwent	£175,851	£181,575
2.0	North Yorkshire	£175,851	£181,575
2.0	North Wales	£175,851	£181,575
2.0	Northamptonshire	£175,851	£181,575
2.0	Suffolk	£175,851	£181,575
2.0	Wiltshire	£175,851	£181,575
1.5	Cumbria	£173,937	£181,575
1.5	Dyfed-Powys	£173,937	£181,575
1.5	Gloucestershire	£173,937	£181,575
1.5	Lincolnshire	£173,937	£181,575
1.5	Warwickshire	£173,937	£181,575

Deputy chief constables

Current force weighting	Force	With effect from 1 September 2024	With effect from 1 June 2025
	GROUP 1	£190,737	£190,737
10.0	Greater Manchester	£184,248	£190,737
10.0	West Midlands	£184,248	£190,737
8.5	West Yorkshire	£181,953	£190,737
6.5	Thames Valley	£179,904	£190,737
	GROUP 2	£165,537	£165,537
6.0	Merseyside	£165,537	£165,537
6.0	Northumbria	£165,537	£165,537
5.5	Hampshire	£164,151	£165,537
5.0	Devon and Cornwall	£162,573	£165,537
5.0	Kent	£162,573	£165,537
5.0	Lancashire	£162,573	£165,537
4.5	Avon and Somerset	£161,004	£165,537
4.5	Essex	£161,004	£165,537
4.5	South Wales	£161,004	£165,537
4.5	South Yorkshire	£161,004	£165,537
4.5	Sussex	£161,004	£165,537
	GROUP 3	£149,799	£149,799
3.5	Nottinghamshire	£149,799	£149,799
3.0	Cheshire	£148,407	£149,799
3.0	Derbyshire	£148,407	£149,799
3.0	Hertfordshire	£148,407	£149,799
3.0	Humberside	£148,407	£149,799
3.0	Leicestershire	£148,407	£149,799
3.0	Staffordshire	£148,407	£149,799
3.0	West Mercia	£148,407	£149,799
2.5	Norfolk	£146,835	£149,799
2.5	Surrey	£146,835	£149,799
2.0	Bedfordshire	£145,260	£149,799
2.0	Cambridgeshire	£145,260	£149,799
2.0	Cleveland	£145,260	£149,799
2.0	Dorset	£145,260	£149,799
2.0	Durham	£145,260	£149,799
2.0	Gwent	£145,260	£149,799
2.0	North Yorkshire	£145,260	£149,799
2.0	North Wales	£145,260	£149,799
2.0	Northamptonshire	£145,260	£149,799
2.0	Suffolk	£145,260	£149,799
2.0	Wiltshire	£145,260	£149,799
1.5	Cumbria	£144,687	£149,799
1.5	Dyfed-Powys	£144,687	£149,799
1.5	Gloucestershire	£144,687	£149,799
1.5	Lincolnshire	£144,687	£149,799
1.5	Warwickshire	£144,687	£149,799

Commissioners, deputy commissioners, assistant commissioners and deputy assistant commissioners

Ranks subject to 2-year transitional uplift:

Force	Rank	With effect from 1 September 2024	With effect from 1 June 2025
Metropolitan	Assistant Commissioner	£231,198	£231,198
Metropolitan	Deputy Assistant Commissioner	£184,248	£190,737

Ranks not subject to 2-year transitional uplift

Force	Rank	With effect from 1 September 2024
Metropolitan	Commissioner	£330,465
City of London	Commissioner	£205,248
Metropolitan	Deputy Commissioner	£273,192
City of London	Assistant Commissioner	£169,668

Assistant chief constables and commanders

Pay Point	With effect from 1 September 2024
1	£120,489
2	£128,118
3	£135,756

Annex C: Pay, allowances and expenses

1. Pay, leave and sickness

• Chief constables and deputy chief constables receive a rate of pay based on their ranks and the sizes of their forces.
• Assistant chief constables and commanders remain on a pay scale.
• Other elements of pay, leave, sickness absence are set out in the determinations of the Police Regulations 2003.

2. Allowances and related payments

Replacement allowance

• Replacement allowance is only available to officers who were already members of the police on 31 August 1994. It was introduced in 2003 to replace rent and housing allowances, on their abolition.
• Several other allowances depend on whether or not an officer receives replacement allowance.

London Weighting

• Pensionable payment, currently £3,024 per annum for officers in the City of London Police or Metropolitan Police Service.

London Allowance

• Non-pensionable allowance for officers in the City of London Police or Metropolitan Police Service. The rate is determined by the Commissioner of the relevant force with regard to location and retention needs up to a maximum of:
  • £5,338 a year if appointed on or after 1 September 1994 and not receiving a replacement allowance under Schedule 3;
  • £1,011 a year, in other cases (provided that, in respect of any particular member, the total of the London allowance and replacement allowance payable to the member shall not exceed the London allowance that would be payable if the member were not receiving a replacement allowance).

London Transitional Supplement

• An allowance not exceeding £1,000 per annum, paid to members of the City of London Police or Metropolitan Police Service who joined before 1 September 1994 and who receive a replacement allowance.
• The total of the London transitional supplement, London allowance and replacement allowance payable to the member shall not exceed the London allowance that would be payable if the member were not receiving a replacement allowance.

South East England Allowance

• A member of the Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey or Thames Valley constabulary appointed on or after 1 September 1994 and not receiving a replacement allowance under Schedule 3 shall be paid an allowance at a rate determined by the chief constable of the relevant force with regard to location and retention needs, following consultation with the joint branch board, and not exceeding £3,000 a year.
• A member of the Bedfordshire, Hampshire or Sussex constabulary appointed on or after 1 September 1994 and not receiving a replacement allowance under Schedule 3 shall be paid an allowance at a rate determined by the chief constable of the relevant force with regard to location and retention needs, following consultation with the joint branch board, and not exceeding £2,000 a year.

South East England Transitional Supplement

• Applies to Hertfordshire, Kent or Surrey officers who joined the police service before 1 September 1994 and receive a replacement allowance payable at a rate less than the rate of the South East England Allowance that they would receive if not in receipt of a replacement allowance.
• They receive a supplementary allowance at the rate of the difference between that South East England Allowance and the replacement allowance that the member is receiving.

Motor Vehicle Allowances

• For all officers, there is an option of paying a lump sum per annum plus mileage for duty travel, or a mileage rate for casual users (sums dependent on cylinder capacity of vehicle).
• There are often other ‘benefit in kind’ arrangements for chief police officers in the form of a car pool or provision of a dedicated car (as below under ‘Expenses’)

3. Expenses

Reimbursement of medical charges

• Applies where the charges are incurred by reason of an injury received without their default in the execution of their duty as a constable.

Removal expenses

• Paid where the member moves his home on joining the force in the rank of assistant chief constable or a higher rank.
• To qualify for reimbursement, an item of removal expenditure must be necessary, reasonable and backed by a receipt.

Relocation expenses

• PCCs/chief police officers are required to pay all reasonable costs arising from the sale and purchase of a chief police officers house, and should pay all tax liabilities arising from any relocation packages, so that, for the chief police officer concerned, there is no personal financial disadvantage.
• This applies when the chief police officer has been required to move home in the interests of the efficiency and effectiveness of the force.

Food expenses

• Reimbursed expenses when an officer:
  • is necessarily prevented in the course of a tour of duty from obtaining a meal in their usual way (reimbursed the difference between the meal they then obtain and the meal they usually takes in the course of that tour of duty); or
  • is retained on duty beyond their normal daily period of duty (reimbursed the cost of any meal they then necessarily obtain). Reimbursement for reasonable expenditure, backed by a receipt.

Accommodation expenses

• Reimbursed accommodation expenses necessarily incurred in connection with duty away from their usual place of duty, or necessary because they have been retained on duty beyond their normal daily period of duty. Reimbursement for reasonable expenditure, backed by a receipt.

Train travel expenses for certain ranks

• Superintending ranks and above who are required to travel by train in the execution of their duty are entitled to first-class travel.

Travel expenses

• Reimbursement (within limits set by the local policing body) applies where a member of a police force is:
  • required to perform their normal daily period of duty in more than one tour of duty, or
  • recalled to duty between two tours of duty,
  • and travels to and from their home between tours, or, as the case may be, in consequence of their recall (in this paragraph referred to as ‘relevant travelling’).

Note: Travel expenses are paid up to limits set locally by the PCC, as set out in Annex V of the determinations. In addition, chief police officers are often provided with a dedicated car at a cost decided by the PCC and this would fall under ‘Motor Vehicle Allowances’ in Annex U of the determinations. It is made explicit in terms and conditions that private journeys in dedicated cars are permissible (including use of the car by a partner), but that this would be taxable as a benefit in kind.

Uniform

• It is the decision of the local policing body whether or not a chief police officer receives free uniform.