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. Restoration of neighbourhood policing, the bedrock of the British policing model, is at the heart of the government’s plans for police reform. The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee will include, amongst other things, restoring patrols to town centres, delivering an additional 13,000 police officers, police community support officers and special constables in neighbourhood policing roles and ensuring every community has a named and contactable officer to turn to.

3. 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.

4. The Home Secretary’s remit letter refers the follow matters to the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) in the 2025/26 pay round:

• How to apply the pay award for all police officers in ranks up to and including chief superintendent.
• To consider proposals resulting from year one of the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s (NPCC) review of allowances, taking into account the views of policing stakeholders.

5. We ask that the PRRB has regard to the views of the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) in respect of chief police officers when making recommendations on the remuneration for officers in the federated and superintending ranks.

Pay proposals

Economic context

6. HM Treasury’s economic evidence to the Pay Review Bodies^{[footnote 2]} 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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

10. 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, and maintenance of officer numbers.

11. 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.

12. 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

13. 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.

14. 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 3]}. 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.

15. 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 3 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.

16. 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 5% overall and targeted at the lowest pay points) which were also above affordability, requiring additional funding of c.£1.2 billion from the Home Office.

17. 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 4]}, 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.

18. 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.

19. We have not received clear or compelling evidence to suggest there are broad issues with recruitment and retention for specific ranks or that targeted pay awards are required. While there is anecdotal evidence about recruitment difficulties and increased attrition rates for some specialist roles, we have not received any robust evidence explaining the problem or that any pay solutions would be an appropriate response. Voluntary resignations account for 3.4% of the workforce and are in line with modelling.

20. Further affordability assessments will be undertaken when the PRRB submits its recommendations.

London weighting

21. London weighting has historically increased in line with annual pay increases. We ask the PRRB 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.

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

Allowances

23. The Home Secretary’s remit letter asks the PRRB to consider proposals resulting from year one of the NPCC’s review of allowances, taking into account the views of policing stakeholders. Again, any increases must be funded from within existing allocations.

24. When considering allowances that also apply to chief officers, we ask that the PRRB has regard to the views of the SSRB.

Context

Safer streets

25. The government has committed to five core missions which seek to address some of the fundamental challenges that society is facing over the next ten years. The Safer Streets Mission is one of these and is led by the Home Secretary. It is focused on addressing both harm and confidence in parallel by taking a whole-system approach.

26. The Safer Streets Mission is the vehicle to reduce harm and improve confidence by driving delivery across government working in partnership with all the country – businesses, civil society and the British people to halve violence against women and girls, halve knife crime, and restore confidence in the policing and justice system within a decade. The Mission’s first steps are as follows:

• 13,000 more neighbourhood police delivered across policing.
• Tackling anti-social behaviour, including with new penalties for offenders.
• Establish the trailblazer Young Futures Hubs as part of the Young Futures Programme.

Neighbourhood policing

27. Restoration of neighbourhood policing is at the heart of the government’s plans for police reform. We are working with policing to implement a new Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee which will include, amongst other things, restoring patrols to town centres, delivering an additional 13,000 police officers, police community support officers and special constables in neighbourhood policing roles and ensuring every community has a named and contactable officer to turn to. Every community deserves visible, pro-active and accessible neighbourhood policing with officers tackling the issues that matter to them.

28. Neighbourhood policing is the bedrock of the British policing model and that is why the government have injected an additional £100 million for neighbourhood policing, compared to that announced at the provisional police funding settlement. This means the funding will be doubled to a total of £200 million available to forces to carry on the fight against crime and keeping communities safe.

Police reform

29. 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 5]}.

30. 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.

31. 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.

32. 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 His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS). The framework will sit within a new Police Performance Unit in the Home Office.

33. 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.

34. 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 later 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.

35. 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.

Policing environment

36. Latest estimates from the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW)^{[footnote 6]} showed that there were an estimated 9.2 million incidents of headline crime (including theft, robbery, criminal damage, fraud, computer misuse and violence with or without injury) in the survey for the year ending June 2024. This was 18% lower compared with the year ending March 2017 survey (the earliest comparable year for CSEW headline crime, including fraud and computer misuse).

37. Latest CSEW estimates show a 10% increase in the number of headline crime incidents compared with the survey for the year ending June 2023. This may in part be due to the previous reporting period covering from July 2021 and May 2023, which included times of COVID-19 restrictions. It is therefore not possible to tell if this increase is a short-term fluctuation or the start of a new trend.

38. Most crime types did not show a statistically significant change. However, there were notable increases in robbery, violence with injury and consumer and retail fraud. In the year ending June 2024:

• Robbery returned to levels last seen before the COVID-19 pandemic, rising to an estimated 139,000 incidents, compared with 60,000 incidents in the year ending June 2023.
• Violence with injury also returned to pre-pandemic levels and increased to an estimated 562,000 incidents from around 376,000 incidents in the year ending June 2023.
• Consumer and retail fraud increased by 19%, reaching approximately 963,000 incidents.

39. The CSEW also reports that while police recorded crime does not tend to be a good indicator of general trends in crime, it can give more insight into lower-volume, but higher-harm offences reported to the police, including those that the survey does not cover or capture well. Data for the year ending June 2024 showed that:

• The number of homicides decreased slightly to 562 offences, compared with the year ending June 2023 (578 offences)
• Offences involving knives or sharp instruments (excluding Greater Manchester Police) increased by 4% to 50,973 offences compared with the year ending June 2023 (49,187 offences). This was 2% lower than year ending March 2020 (51,982 offences).
• Offences involving firearms decreased by 5% to 5,996 offences compared with year ending June 2023 (6,327 offences).
• Robbery increased by 6% to 81,931 offences in comparison with year ending June 2023 (77,106 offences).
• Shoplifting offences rose by 29% to 469,788 offences compared with the previous year (365,173 offences) and is the highest figure since current police recording practices began for the year ending March 2003.

Police funding

40. 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.
• £65.0 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.

41. 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.

Productivity and efficiency

42. It is essential that we maximise the value of any new investment within policing. We are driving work to reduce inefficiencies and maximise productivity, freeing cashable savings and officer time to reinvest in frontline activities.

43. To aid in maximising productivity we are going to tackle bureaucracy in policing and free up more time for officers to get back on the frontline to support the Safer Streets mission. Building on the foundation of the Policing Productivity Review, we are working with the College of Policing to support forces in ensuring officers are able to use their time more productively.

44. The effective use of cutting-edge technology is an important part of this. We have invested in improving the technology available to policing, and are working with key stakeholders such as the College of Policing, HMICFRS, NPCC and Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC), to improve the quality of police data and make sharing data across policing and with the Home Office easier.

45. We have mobilised a Commercial Efficiencies and Collaboration programme that is focussed on delivering the savings and efficiencies outlined in the Government’s manifesto. A Cost Recovery workstream will focus on recovering costs on services that are currently delivered at a loss. Initiatives will require changes to legislation, as well as ministerial and HM Treasury agreement.

Accountability review

46. On 23 October 2024, the Government announced a substantial package of reforms on police accountability^{[footnote 7]}. These reforms seek to ensure the public has confidence that there is an appropriate system to hold officers to account where they may exceed the lawful use of their powers or otherwise fall short of the standards expected of them. They will also ensure police officers have the confidence to be able to use their powers to keep the public safe and know that accountability arrangements are timely and proportionate. Effective accountability arrangements will also support high standards of professionalism, morale and wellbeing.

47. The changes include:

• Legislation to create a presumption of anonymity for firearms officers who are charged with offences relating to, and committed during, their duties as a firearms officer and who are subject to criminal trial following a shooting, up until the point of conviction.
• Legislation to speed up processes between the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), including aligning the threshold for IOPC referrals of officers to the CPS to that used by police when referring cases involving members of the public.
• Appointing two independent reviewers, Tim Godwin OBE QPM and the Rt Hon Sir Adrian Fulford, to rapidly assess whether there is a case for change in relation to two legal tests applied in misconduct and Inquest processes.
• A longer-term review, concluding by the end of 2025 to address systemic barriers to timeliness in the misconduct system to improve public and police confidence.
• The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to review CPS guidance and processes in relation to charging police officers for offences committed in the course of their duties.
• The College of Policing to create a lessons learned database from investigations into death and serious injuries following police contact.

Misconduct and vetting

48. As part of its announcement on the 23 October, the Government also committed to bringing forward reforms to strengthen the misconduct, vetting and performance systems.

49. This will introduce legislative changes based on the recommendations of the Home Office’s review of police dismissals in 2023 and strengthen requirements on police forces to suspend officers under investigation for domestic abuse or sexual offences. This will also include changes to vetting, following the Government’s manifesto commitment to put stronger vetting standards on a legislative footing.

50. This will:

• Ensure that officers convicted of certain criminal offences should automatically be found to have committed gross misconduct.
• Create a presumption of dismissal where there is a finding of gross misconduct.
• Create a presumption of fast-track hearings for former officers.
• Streamline the performance system for individual officers.
• Provide a process for police forces to dismiss officers who cannot hold vetting.

51. These planned changes will follow reform of the disciplinary system implemented earlier in 2023, which gave responsibility for chairing misconduct hearings back to chief officers.

Police officer workforce

Recruitment and retention

52. The government is committed to ensuring police forces are supported to effectively tackle crime. This government’s expectation is that police forces in England and Wales will protect police officer numbers. The latest data on maintenance of officer numbers was published on 22 January 2025 as part of the Home Office’s Police Workforce Statistics (England and Wales)^{[footnote 8]}. This data shows that at 30 September 2024 there were a total of 148,886 officers (headcount) across England and Wales.

53. To maintain officer numbers, it is important that each police force has an effective workforce plan in place to meet current and future needs. The Home Office continues to work closely with policing partners nationally to develop sustainable long term workforce plans.

54. The retention of police officers is an important element of managing the police workforce. At 31 March 2024, voluntary resignation rates in England and Wales, at 3.4%, were low compared to other sectors^{[footnote 9]}. Retention of valuable experience also remains important, which is why forces should be using effective strategies to manage retention and progression of existing officers.

55. Through the police funding settlement for 2025/26, £376.8 million will be available to forces to maintain officer numbers. This funding will be distributed as follows:

• £270.1 million will be ringfenced funding, which PCCs will be able to access, as in previous years, by demonstrating that they have maintained their officer numbers.
• £106.7 million will be paid to forces who have received additional recruitment allocations in 2024/25 and 2025/26. This funding will be provided as an additional recruitment top up grant. It will be unconditional, and the funding distributed according to how much additional recruitment forces have carried out.

56. We are releasing £75 million from the ringfence for 2024/25 to top-up core grant to all police forces, enhancing their financial flexibility and ability to manage budget pressures.

57. The government is clear that visible policing is essential to restoring public confidence in the police. As a result, our expectation is that officer numbers must be protected in 2025/26.

Initial training

58. The College of Policing is currently undertaking an optimisation programme for all police constable entry routes to improve the experience of initial training delivery for both forces and participants, and to enable more streamlined, work-based and effective learning programmes, with reduced abstraction and cost to forces. The programme has most recently resulted in positive changes to the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA).

59. The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) require periodic reviews of the standards, funding bands and assessment process for degree apprenticeships. A review of the PCDA standard has been undertaken for the first time this year which has resulted in a substantially revised approach to the PCDA ‘end-point assessment’, mirroring the same ‘regulated profession model’ used for nursing degrees. Assessment requirements have been simplified, allowing for more on-the-job assessment to count towards the apprenticeship’s end-point assessment, and increased flexibility in how the final evidence-based research project can be completed and findings presented. It is anticipated that this new approach will reduce the burden on student officers and, in doing so, reduce abstraction at the point of assessment.

60. The College has also secured a change to the funding band for PCDA which will allow English police forces to draw down an additional £3,000 per student from the Apprenticeship Levy for new cohorts from April 2025, which means that the maximum levy draw down for the PCDA will be £27,000 per student officer (raised from £24,000).

Diversity

61. As at 31 March 2024, there were 12,133 full-time equivalent officers from minority ethnic groups (excluding white minorities), making up 8.4% of the workforce (excluding those who did not state their ethnicity)10. The proportion of officers identifying as an ethnic minority had been increasing each year since March 2007 (4.7%) until March 2024, in the last year the proportion of ethnic minority officers has remained steady at 8.4%.

62. Representation of minority ethnic officers (excluding white minorities) was lower among senior ranks (chief inspector or above) compared with constables and other ranks. For example, 6.5% of officers of rank chief inspector or above identified as ethnic minorities (excluding white minorities), compared with 9.0% of constables.

63. There were 52,331 full-time equivalent female police officers on 31 March 2024, making up 35.4% of police officers in England and Wales, where sex was known (up from 34.7% last year). This is the highest number and proportion of female officers since comparable records began in March 2003.

Leadership and talent management

64. Following the launch of the College of Policing’s National Centre for Police Leadership (NCPL) in June 2023, work has continued to ensure that the leadership standards are embedded at every level in policing. The standards are now supported by the Police Leadership Programme (PLP), which is a development framework providing programmes that seek to develop talent against each of the established leadership standards. As part of the PLP, the College of Policing 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 officer roles. The final stage of the PLP was launched in April 2024 with the introduction of the Senior Leaders Programme. In addition to this work, the College of Policing updated the national Guidance for Appointing Chief Officers in February 2024 to ensure fair and appropriate processes are followed in the appointment of chief officers in England and Wales.

65. 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.

66. 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.

67. The Home Office also continues to fund Police Now, which runs a successful frontline leadership programme for existing officers, to help them reach sergeant and inspector level.

Morale and wellbeing

68. 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.

69. 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.

70. 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.

Workforce strategy

71. As set out in paragraphs 34 and 35, in 2025 the government will publish a Police Reform White Paper which will set out how we are addressing the challenges policing faces and developing a system that is modern and fit for the future.

72. The White Paper will include issues on the future workforce and will include a chapter on Workforce Strategy, Leadership and Culture.

73. The White Paper will also consider a national police workforce strategy. A proper police workforce strategy is important to support the police, deal with new threats and crimes, raise standards, improve mental health support, and train and develop the talent of the police workforce and diversity of forces.

74. We are engaging NPCC and the College of Policing to develop our early thinking about the approach that is needed to develop a long-term workforce strategy and what such a strategy or plan would include.

75. It is important that this strategy covers all members of the workforce, including police staff who deliver a vital role in protecting communities as part of police forces. This will ensure that policing is prepared to respond to the many demands it faces both now and into the future.

76. The nature of crime and policing demands has changed, yet police workforce structures and areas of deployment have remained largely the same as a decade ago. Technology and societal changes such as automation and AI advancements, as well a generational shift in work aspirations, all highlight the need for policing to develop a long-term workforce plan.

77. In its last report, the PRRB recommended that the Home Office, NPCC and APCC work together to undertake a comprehensive review of police remuneration, in order to produce a costed plan in preparation for the next Spending Review. The PRRB further recommended that as part of this, allowances in the NPCC’s schedule for review should be reviewed in their entirety in 2024/25. The government is clear that reforms to pay and remuneration structures must be aligned to a police workforce strategy. Pay and reward is an important element to ensuring the service has and can retain the right skills and is able to respond to the future changes and demands described above. Going forward, the service needs to be able to articulate how pay and reward plays into building that future workforce.

Overall remuneration package

Basic pay

78. The government accepted the PRRB’s recommendation in its last report to award officers in the federated and superintending ranks a consolidated increase of 4.75%. With effect from 1 September 2024, starting salaries for constables are £29,907. The current salary ranges for each rank are attached at Annex B.

79. In addition to annual pay awards, officers in the federated and superintending ranks who are not at the top of their pay scale receive annual incremental pay progression. This is worth at least 2% of salary, and often 4-6%. With effect from 1 April 2023, this is dependent on an officer meeting the requirements of the pay progression standard (PPS) in the previous 12 months. Dependent on meeting the PPS, a constable will typically reach the top of their pay scale in six years, other ranks in three to four years. A typical constable will receive a salary of £48,231 within six years of joining.

80. The tables below set out median basic pay by rank for officers over the last five years:

Table 1: Median basic pay by rank and year, outside London

Rank	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
Federated ranks
Constables	£39,721	£40,713	£40,356	£37,571	£36,783
Sergeants	£44,640	£45,757	£46,227	£47,337	£50,094
Inspectors	£53,923	£56,405	£56,499	£57,360	£60,584
Chief Inspectors	£57,659	£59,706	£60,262	£61,213	£64,771
Superintending ranks
Superintendents	£72,201	£75,950	£76,727	£77,193	£81,978
Chief Superintendents	£86,723	£90,228	£90,449	£92,028	£98,063

Table 2: Median basic pay by rank and year, in London

Rank	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
Federated ranks
Constables	£39,721	£40,713	£41,130	£42,240	£44,789
Sergeants	£44,640	£45,757	£46,227	£46,784	£50,094
Inspectors	£55,641	£57,774	£57,365	£58,366	£61,726
Chief Inspectors	£59,049	£61,388	£61,384	£62,696	£66,550
Superintending ranks
Superintendents	£72,842	£74,867	£75,408	£75,658	£79,992
Chief Superintendents	£88,319	£90,817	£91,275	£89,598	£96,424

Source (Tables 1 and 2): Home Office analysis of the Police Workforce Census, 31 March 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.

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

81. The government accepted the PRRB’s recommendation that chief officers should be given the discretion to set the starting salary for new constables at either pay point 1 or pay point 2 on the constables’ pay scale. Implementation of the recommendation was subject to detailed proposals from the NPCC and APCC on the circumstances in which this discretion should be used, along with transition arrangements for those constables on pay point 1, to inform amendments to determinations made under the Police Regulations 2003. We are currently consulting on amendments to determinations to implement these changes.

82. The PRRB also recommended the Commissioners of the Metropolitan Police Service and City of London Police be given further discretion to set the starting salaries of new constables at pay point 3 on the constables’ pay scale. This recommendation was not accepted. Instead, the maximum rate London Allowance for officers appointed on or after 1 September 1994 will be increased by £1,250, the difference in value between pay point 2 and 3. Implementation of this increase will be synchronised alongside the wider changes to constable starting salaries. We are currently consulting on amendments to determinations to implement this change.

Allowances

83. In addition to basic pay, officers may receive a range of allowances. A summary of allowances and their current values is provided in Annex C.

84. 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 PRRB for consideration in the last pay round.

85. The Home Secretary’s remit letter asks the PRRB to consider proposals resulting from year one of the review of allowances, taking into account the views of policing stakeholders.

86. The government is clear that wider changes to the remuneration structure must be aligned to a police workforce strategy. It has not been possible to review allowances in their entirety in 2024/25 as recommended by the PRRB in the last pay round. However, we welcome the work that has been undertaken to review the first tranche of allowances.

87. The tables below set out median total earnings (which include basic pay and allowances) by rank for officers over the last five years.

Table 3: Median total earnings by rank and year, outside London

Rank	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
Federated ranks
Constables	£41,143	£41,395	£41,298	£42,240	£41,630
Sergeants	£47,760	£49,264	£50,447	£52,174	£54,500
Inspectors	£55,300	£57,104	£57,455	£58,481	£61,636
Chief Inspectors	£59,210	£61,092	£61,372	£62,324	£65,601
Superintending ranks
Superintendents	£73,798	£79,301	£79,004	£79,635	£84,101
Chief Superintendents	£88,336	£92,817	£92,585	£93,348	£99,476

Table 4: Median total earnings by rank and year, in London

Rank	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
Federated ranks
Constables	£47,986	£48,514	£49,105	£50,196	£52,996
Sergeants	£55,603	£56,440	£57,922	£59,391	£62,639
Inspectors	£64,151	£65,518	£65,623	£66,586	£70,916
Chief Inspectors	£67,122	£69,287	£69,213	£70,604	£75,192
Superintending ranks
Superintendents	£80,521	£82,874	£84,598	£82,639	£88,401
Chief Superintendents	£95,419	£98,506	£98,803	£97,509	£105,101

Source (Tables 3 and 4): Home Office analysis of the Police Workforce Census, 31 March 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.

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

Pensions

88. 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 11]}.

89. Annual employer pension contributions for a constable on the lowest pay point are £10,557 and £39,224 for a chief superintendent on the highest pay point.

90. 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.

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

92. 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

93. On 20 November 2024, the Home Office launched a formal consultation on amendments to the Police Pension Regulations 2015^{[footnote 12]}. The consultation seeks views on proposed changes to the structure of member contributions, with a view to continuing to encourage participation in the Scheme.

94. 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.

95. 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

96. 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.

97. 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).

98. 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).

99. 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.

Other terms

100. The government accepted the PRRBs recommendation that the time it takes officers in the federated ranks to reach the maximum annual leave entitlement of 30 days should be reduced from 20 to 10 years, with effect from 1 April 2025 and phased in over three years. This recommendation was accepted, subject to the submission of a satisfactory Equality Impact Assessment by the NPCC to the Home Office. The PRRB further recommended that from September 2024, annual leave entitlement for new entrants should be increased from 22 to 25 days. This recommendation was accepted but with implementation taking effect on 1 April 2025. We are currently consulting on amendments to determinations made under the Police Regulations 2003 to implement the new entitlement.

101. Officers also have access to flexible working schedules and career breaks. Further benefits include enhanced maternity pay and leave and parental support pay (up to two weeks), paid allowances to compensate for disruption to family life and the demands of the role, and sick leave on full pay for up to six months.

Annex A: Home Secretary’s remit letter

Accessible version available from Remit letter to the Police Remuneration Review Body: 2025 to 2026.

Annex B: Police officer numbers and salaries by rank

Rank	Full-time equivalent[footnote 13]	Salary (minimum)	Salary (maximum)
Federated ranks
Constables	114,976	£29,907	£48,231
Sergeants	22,091	£51,408	£53,943
Inspectors	6,834	£61,197	£66,201
Chief Inspectors	2,166	£67,509	£70,200
Superintending ranks
Superintendents	1,064	£80,784	£95,025
Chief Superintendents	370	£99,612	£111,117

Annex C: Summary of allowances

Unsocial hours allowance

1. Officers in the federated ranks receive an additional 10% of their basic pay, on an hourly basis, for hours worked between 8:00pm and 6:00am. The allowance was introduced in 2012.

Away from home allowance

2. Officers in the federated ranks are paid an allowance if they are held in reserve. They are held in reserve if they are serving away from their normal place of duty and are required to stay in a particular, specified place, rather than being allowed to return home by reason of the need to be ready for immediate deployment. Since 1 March 2015, the allowance is £50 per night.

Hardship allowance

3. Paid to officers in the federated ranks for each night held in reserve and not provided with “proper accommodation”. “Proper accommodation” is defined as a room for the sole occupation of the officer, with an en-suite bathroom. Since 1 March 2015, the allowance is £30 per night.

On-call allowance

4. Initially available to officers in the federated ranks for each 24-hour period on-call. The allowance was extended to the superintending ranks in 2019. The allowance was increased by £5 to £25 with effect from 1 September 2024.

Motor vehicle allowance

5. Paid to officers using their own vehicles for duty, at essential user or casual user rates. The Winsor Review^{[footnote 14]} recommended that the link between the motor vehicle allowance for police officers and that for local authorities should be re-established. With effect from 1 April 2012, the essential users lump sum per annum is:

• 451-999cc - £846
• 1000-1199cc - £963
• 1200 -1450cc - £1,239

6. Since 1 September 2016, the rates payable for mileage expenses to both essential and casual users have been aligned to the prevailing HMRC rates. Current rates are 45p per mile for the first 10,000 miles and 25p per mile for mileage over 10,000 miles in any tax year.

Dog handlers’ allowance

7. Compensates dog handlers for caring for a dog on their rest days and public holidays and is payable where a police dog is kept and cared for at the officer’s home. Dog handers’ allowance increased to £2,826 a year on 1 September 2024.

8. The additional rate for officers with more than one dog was raised from 25% to 50% of the rate for the first dog on 1 September 2024.

Protection allowance

9. Paid to officers engaged in core protection duties when they are required immediately before or after a shift, whilst off duty, to remain in a particular, specified location (rate 1); or are required to remain in a particular, specified location, be immediately contactable and deployable, and fit for firearms duty or duty with a Conductive Energy Device (rates 2 and 3). The allowance was introduced on 1 December 2020 at varying rates, dependent on rank and the nature of the deployment.

• Rate 1: £40 per day.
• Rate 2: Constables and sergeants - £90 per day; Inspectors and chief inspectors - £125 per day.
• Rate 3: Constables and sergeants - £125 per day; Inspectors and chief inspectors - £160 per day.

London allowance

10. Paid to officers in the Metropolitan Police Service and City of London Police appointed on or after 1 September 1994, and not receiving a replacement allowance. The maximum rate was increased by £1,000 to £5,338 a year on 1 September 2020. On 29 July 2024, the Government announced the maximum rate will be increased by £1,250, to be implemented alongside wider changes to constable starting salaries.

11. The maximum rate for officers appointed before 1 September 1994 and in receipt of a replacement allowance is £1,011 a year (provided that the total of the London allowance and replacement allowance payable shall not exceed the London allowance that would be payable if the officer were not receiving a replacement allowance).

12.  The rates are determined by the Commissioner of the relevant force with regard to location and retention needs, following consultation with the joint branch board or Joint Executive Committee.

London transitional supplement

13. Paid to officers in the Metropolitan Police Service and City of London Police who joined before 1 September 1994 and who receive a half rate housing allowance or a flat rate transitional rent allowance. The rate is determined by the Commissioner of the relevant force with regard to location and retention needs, following consultation with the joint branch board or Joint Executive Committee, and not exceeding £1,000 a year (provided that the total of the London transitional supplement, London allowance and replacement allowance payable to the officer shall not exceed the London allowance that would be payable if the officer were not receiving a replacement allowance).

South East England allowance

14. Paid to officers in Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey or Thames Valley forces appointed on or after 1 September 1994 and not receiving a replacement allowance, at a maximum rate of £3,000. Officers in Bedfordshire, Hampshire or Sussex forces appointed on or after 1 September 1994 and not receiving a replacement allowance may receive an allowance at a maximum rate of £2,000. The maximum rate was increased on 1 September 2016.

15. The rate is determined by the Chief Constable of the relevant force with regard to location and retention needs, following consultation with the joint branch board. Before exercising their discretion, the Chief Constable must obtain and have regard to evidence of local difficulties in recruiting and retaining police officers; and a local assessment of affordability conducted in consultation with the local policing body.

South East England transitional supplement

16. A supplementary allowance paid to officers in Hertfordshire, Kent and Surrey forces who joined before 1 September 1994 and whose half rate housing allowance or flat rate transitional rent allowance is less than the rate of the South East England Allowance that the officer would receive if not in receipt of a replacement allowance. It is paid at the rate of the difference between the South East England allowance and the officer’s half rate housing/flat rate transitional rent allowance.

Bonus payments

17. A discretionary payment of between £50 and £2,000 where the chief officer is satisfied an officer has performed work of an outstandingly demanding, unpleasant or important nature. The maximum payment was increased to £2,000 on 1 July 2021.

Service critical skills payments (also referred to as targeted variable pay)

18. Discretionary payments of up to £5,000 a year to officers in the federated and superintending ranks for skills that are in demonstrably short supply and financial incentivisation is considered necessary to attract or retain those skills; or where the role in question is hard-to-fill.

Recognition of workload payments (also referred to as targeted variable pay)

19. Discretionary payments of up to £5,000 a year to officers in the superintending ranks in circumstances where the chief officer determines that the demands placed on the officer exceed those usually placed on other officers of the same rank.