Police officers to get 3.5% pay rise in England and Wales, Home Office says
The Home Office announced that the salaries of police officers in England and Wales will be increased by 3.5 percent.
The body responsible for assessing civil servants’ salaries recommended a 3.9 per cent increase for all ranks, including superintendent, but Home Affairs Minister Shabana Mahmood opted for a lower figure.
“This is the highest award that can be managed within the existing police force and Home Office budgets, while also enabling the Government’s crime and policing priorities to be consistently delivered,” he said in a written statement.
The increase will take effect from 1 September and London Weighting will be increased by 3.5%.
MPs’ basic pay rose 5% in April to £98,599 per annum.
Junior doctors in England called off strike action last month after the Government made a new offer understood to include an average pay rise of 6.6% to be fully implemented by April 2027.
The Home Office said it would increase funding by £84 million in 2026-27, £144 million in 2027-28 and £145 million in 2028-29 to help forces pay higher wages.
“I have always been clear that I will prioritize essential frontline services, and this funding has been delivered through emergency budgets created by the rigorous reprioritization, difficult decisions and savings drives carried out during and after the 2025 Spending Review,” the Home Secretary added.
Police Federation national secretary John Partington said the increase represented “an increase on paper only”.
“By going against the advice of its specialist pay review body, the Home Office has sent a clear message to police officers that it will ignore evidence that shows a proper pay rise for police officers is long overdue,” he said.
“This is a salary increase only on paper, not in the pockets of civil servants.
“Taking into account inflation, higher pension contributions and frozen tax thresholds, the average police officer will be no better off in real terms.
“Police officers risk their lives to protect the public.
“The Home Office fully understands the sacrifices involved but has ignored independent advice.
“A pay award barely above inflation would drive more experienced officers away from policing, make recruitment more difficult and weaken public protection, putting the public at risk.
“The government has found the money to give real pay rises to junior doctors and train drivers.
“But between 2010 and 2023, police salaries have fallen by 22% in real terms, while the rest of the public sector has seen their salaries rise by 10%.”
