Correspondence

Annex U (amendment) – allowances (accessible)

Published 31 July 2026

The following determination “Annex U (Amendment) – Allowances” is made by the Secretary of State under regulation 34 of the Police Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/527), following consultation in accordance with regulation 46 of those Regulations. This determination was made on 11 June 2026 and amends the determination “Annex U – Allowances”. The amendment comes into force on 1 September 2025.

1. For Annex U (Allowances), substitute—

“Annex U

Regulation 34

Schedule 2

Allowances

1. Motor vehicle allowances

a) Where the chief officer is of opinion that the duties normally performed by a member of a police force are of such a nature that it is-

i) essential, or

ii) desirable,

that the member in question should, at all material times, have a motor vehicle at his disposal, he may authorise that member to use (subject to his directions) a motor vehicle owned by the member for the purposes of duties performed by him and, subject to the following provisions of this determination, in respect of such use the member shall be paid a motor vehicle allowance. Use of a motor vehicle during travelling time which is treated as duty in accordance with a determination under regulation 22(1)(e) shall be treated as use for the purposes of duties performed by the member.

b) A motor vehicle allowance shall not be payable in respect of the authorised use of a motor vehicle unless there was in force in relation thereto a policy of insurance in terms approved by the chief officer, in relation to the use in question, for the purposes thereof.

c) A motor vehicle allowance shall not be payable in respect of the authorised use of a motor car of a cylinder capacity exceeding 500 c.c. unless the member concerned was willing to carry passengers for the purposes of the duties performed by him or, in the case of passengers being members of a police force, by those members.

d) A motor vehicle allowance in respect of the authorised use of a motor car shall, subject as aforesaid, be payable-

i) where the chief officer of police is of the opinion mentioned in subparagraph (a)(i), at the essential user’s rate;

ii) where the chief officer of police is of the opinion mentioned in subparagraph (a)(ii), at the casual user’s rate,

as provided in sub-paragraphs (e) and (f).

Provided that where the member concerned holds a rank above that of chief superintendent he may instead be paid a flat-rate motor vehicle allowance at such annual rate as is determined by the chief officer on such basis as is approved by the Secretary of State.

e)

i) Subject to the following provisions of this determination, the amount of a motor vehicle allowance payable at the essential user’s rate shall in any year comprise a fixed element and a mileage element calculated as provided in sub-paragraphs (ii) and (iii).

ii) The fixed element shall be calculated by reference to the number of completed months comprised in the period of authorised use for the year in question at the annual rate specified in sub-paragraph (g).

f) A motor vehicle allowance in respect of the authorised use of-

i) a motor bicycle,

shall, subject as aforesaid, be payable on such conditions and at such rate as is approved by the Secretary of State.

g) Rate, with effect from 1 September 2025

Essential users:

• Lump sum per annum: £1,239
• Per mile – prevailing HMRC rates for business mileage

Casual users:

• Per mile – Prevailing HMRC rates for business mileage

h) Where in any year a motor vehicle allowance is payable at the essential user’s rate it shall be payable in such instalments, in advance or in arrears, as the chief officer may determine; but when the amount of the allowance for that year is finally calculated, any over-payment shall be recoverable.

i) Where in any year a motor vehicle allowance is payable at the essential user’s rate to a member of a police force and the member is on sick leave, or maternity leave, or the motor car in question is out of order, for a continuous period of four or more weeks in that year the allowance shall be reduced by such amount as the chief officer, with the approval of the Secretary of State, determines as being appropriate in all the circumstances.

j) Where in any year a motor vehicle allowance is payable at the essential user’s rate but the period of authorised use is a fraction only of that year, sub-paragraph (e)(iii) shall have effect as if for the reference to the basic mileage there were substituted a reference to the corresponding fraction of that mileage; and for the purposes of this paragraph the monthly rate of the fixed element of such an allowance so payable shall be taken to be a twelfth of the annual rate.

k) This determination shall have effect—

i) in its application to a chief officer of police, as if every power conferred on the chief officer; and

ii) in its application to any other officer of the City of London Police Force, as if the powers conferred on the chief officer by virtue of paragraph (1)(b), the proviso to paragraph (1)(d), paragraph (1)(h), paragraph (1)(i) and paragraph (1)(n),

were conferred on the local policing body instead.

l) For the purposes of this determination-

“authorised use” means the use, authorised under sub-paragraph (a), of a motor vehicle owned by the member of a police force concerned for the purposes of his duties as a member of that force or, where he has been statutorily transferred from one force to another force, as a member of either of those forces, and “period of authorised use” means the period during which such use is authorised;

“cylinder capacity” means the cylinder capacity of the engine of a vehicle calculated in accordance with regulations under paragraph 2(4) of Schedule 1 to the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994;

“motor bicycle” means a mechanically propelled bicycle (including a motor scooter, a bicycle with an attachment for propelling it by mechanical power and a mechanically propelled bicycle used for drawing a sidecar);

“motor car” means a mechanically propelled vehicle other than a motor bicycle and, accordingly, includes a mechanically propelled tricycle;

“year” means a period of twelve months beginning on such date as may be determined by the chief officer;

and a reference to a motor vehicle owned by a member of a police force is a reference to such a vehicle kept and used by him.

2. Dog handler’s allowance

a) Where a dog owned for the purposes of the police force is kept and cared for by a member of a police force at his home, the member shall be paid a dog handler’s allowance in respect of the care accorded to the dog on the member’s rest days and on public holidays.

b) For this purpose the member shall be treated as keeping and caring for a dog at his home if he would be doing so but for his being on annual leave.

c) The annual rate of this allowance is, with effect from 1 September 2025, £2,946.

d) Where the member keeps and cares for at his home more than one dog owned for the purposes of the police force, there shall be added to the allowance an amount equal to 50 per cent of the sum specified in sub-paragraph (c) for each such dog.

3. London allowance

a) A member of the City of London or metropolitan police force shall be paid a London allowance at a rate 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 the maximum rates set out in sub-paragraph (b) below.

b) The maximum rate is:

i) £6,588 a year if appointed on or after 1 September 1994 and not receiving a replacement allowance under Schedule 3;

ii) £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).

iii) A part-time member of the City of London or metropolitan police force shall be paid a London allowance at an hourly rate calculated by multiplying by 6/12520 the allowance that the member would receive if a full-time member.

c) A member of the City of London or metropolitan police force suspended under the Conduct Regulations, other than a member to whom paragraph 1(1) of Schedule 2 applies, shall be entitled to receive the London allowance.

d) In this Part and Parts 4 to 6, “location” in relation to a member of a police force means the police establishment in which the member is stationed.

4. London transitional supplement

a) A member of the City of London or metropolitan police force who joined before 1 September 1994 and receives an allowance being:

i) at half rate, a replacement allowance equivalent to a housing allowance under regulation 49 of the 1987 Regulations as it had effect before 1 September 1994, or

ii) at flat rate, a replacement allowance equivalent to a transitional rent allowance under regulation 49B of the 1987 Regulations as it had effect before 1 September 1994

shall be paid an allowance at a rate 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 £1000 a year (provided that, in respect of any particular member, 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).

b) A part-time member of the City of London or metropolitan police force who joined before 1 September 1994 and receives an allowance as at (a)(i) or (ii) shall be paid an allowance at an hourly rate calculated by multiplying by 6/12520 the allowance that the member would receive if a full-time member.

c) Payment shall cease if the member moves to the full rate of replacement allowance.

5. South East England allowance

a) Subject to paragraph d) below, with effect from 1 September 2016, 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.

b) Subject to paragraph d) below, with effect from 1 September 2016, 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.

c) A part-time member of any of the forces mentioned in sub-paragraphs (a) or (b) appointed on or after 1 September 1994 and not receiving a replacement allowance under Schedule 3 shall be paid an allowance at an hourly rate calculated by multiplying by 6/12520 the allowance that the member would receive if a full-time member.

d) Before exercising their discretion as to the amount of the allowances referred to in paragraphs a) and b) above, the chief officer must have obtain and regard to:

i) evidence of local difficulties in recruiting and retaining police officers; and

ii) a local assessment of affordability conducted in consultation with the local policing body.

6. South East England transitional supplement

a) A member of the Hertfordshire, Kent or Surrey constabulary who joined the police service before 1 September 1994 and receives an allowance being:

i) at half rate, a replacement allowance equivalent to a housing allowance under regulation 49 of the 1987 Regulations as it had effect before 1 September 1994, or

ii) at flat rate a replacement allowance equivalent to a transitional rent allowance under regulation 49B of the 1987 Regulations as it had effect before 1 September 1994 payable at a rate less than the rate of the South East England Allowance that the member would receive under paragraph (5) if not in receipt of a replacement allowance, shall be paid a supplementary allowance at the rate of the difference between that South East England Allowance and the replacement allowance that the member is receiving.

b) A part-time member of the Hertfordshire, Kent or Surrey constabulary who joined before 1 September 1994 and receives an allowance as at (a)(i) or (ii) shall be paid a supplementary allowance at an hourly rate calculated by multiplying by 6/12520 the allowance that the member would receive if a full-time member.

c) Payment shall cease if the member moves to the full rate of replacement allowance.

8. Bonus payments^{[footnote 1]}

A chief officer may award a payment of not less than £50 and not more than £2,000 to a member of their force where they are satisfied that the member concerned has performed work of an outstandingly demanding, unpleasant or important nature.

10. Unsocial hours allowance^{[footnote 2]}

a) A member of a police force in the rank of constable, sergeant, inspector or chief inspector shall be paid an allowance, to be known as the unsocial hours allowance, in respect of every full hour worked by the member between 8pm and 6am.

The unsocial hours allowance shall be paid at an hourly rate of 10% of the member’s hourly rate of pay, calculated by multiplying by 6/125200 the member’s annual rate of pay.

11. Away from home overnight allowance

a) A member of a police force in the rank of constable, sergeant, inspector or chief inspector shall be paid an allowance of £60, to be known as the away from home overnight allowance, in respect of every night on which the member is held in reserve.

b) Subject to sub-paragraph (c), a member is “held in reserve” for the purposes of this paragraph if the member is serving away from his normal place of duty (whether because the member has been provided for the assistance of another police force under section 24 of the Police Act 1996 or otherwise) and is required to stay in a particular, specified place overnight rather than being allowed to return home by reason of the need to be ready for immediate deployment.

c) A member is not “held in reserve” if the member is serving away from his normal place of duty only by reason of being on a training course or carrying out routine enquiries. For the purposes of this paragraph “routine enquiries” means activity which forms part of the member’s role or normal duties where due to the nature of that role or duty, or due to the distance from the home station, the member is unable to return home. It is for the chief officer to determine a member’s role or normal duties, including whether there is an expectation within that role or those duties that the member is to travel or to work away from home.

12. Hardship allowance

a) A member of a police force shall be paid an allowance of £40, to be known as the hardship allowance, in the circumstances set out in sub-paragraph (b).

b) The allowance shall be paid in respect of every night when the member:

i) is held in reserve, within the meaning of paragraph (11), and

ii) is not provided with proper accommodation.

c) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (b)(ii) “proper accommodation” means a room for the sole occupation of the member, with an en suite bathroom.

13. On call allowance

a) A member of the rank of constable, sergeant, inspector, chief inspector, superintendent or chief superintendent shall receive an allowance of £35 in respect of each day on which they spend any time on-call.

b) In sub-paragraph (a) “day” means a period of 24 hours commencing at such time or times as the chief officer shall fix after consultation with the branch board and the elected officials of the local Police Superintendents’ Association Branch, and the chief officer may fix different times in relation to different groups of members.

13a. Protection allowance

a) A member of the rank of constable, sergeant, inspector or chief inspector shall, when engaged on Core Protection Duties, receive an allowance, to be known as the Protection Allowance, which will be paid at one of the following rates if the applicable conditions are met.

b) Rate 1: subject to sub-paragraph (g), a Protection Allowance of £40 will be paid in respect of every shift immediately before or after which the member, whilst off duty, is required by a member in their chain of command, for the purposes of Core Protection Duties, to remain at a particular, specified location outside the member’s police area.

c) Rate 2: subject to sub-paragraphs (g) and (h), a Protection Allowance of:

i) in the case of a member of the rank of constable or sergeant, £90, and

ii) in the case of a member of the rank of inspector or chief inspector, £125,

will be paid in respect of every shift in respect of which the conditions in sub-paragraph (e) are met.

d) Rate 3: subject to sub-paragraphs (g) and (h), a Protection Allowance of:

i) in the case of a member of the rank of constable or sergeant, £125, and

ii) in the case of a member of the rank of inspector or chief inspector, £160, will be paid in respect of every shift in respect of which the conditions in sub- paragraph (e) are met and the member has been deployed to a red designated country.

e) The conditions in this sub-paragraph are that immediately before or after the shift and whilst off duty:

i) the member is required by a member in their chain of command, for the purposes of Core Protection Duties, to remain at a particular, specified location (whether inside or outside the member’s police area);

ii) the member is required to be immediately contactable and deployable in the event of the activation of a contingency where the Principal moves outside the safety of other protective security measures, and

iii) the member is required to be fit for firearms duty or duty with a Conductive Energy Device^{[footnote 3]}.

f) Only one Protection Allowance^{[footnote 4]} will be paid in respect of any one day.

g) For the avoidance of doubt, a member entitled to a Protection Allowance is not entitled to claim^{[footnote 5]} either of the following allowances either in addition, or as an alternative, to the Protection Allowance:

away from home overnight allowance or the hardship allowance.

i) away from home overnight allowance;

ii) hardship allowance.

h) A member entitled to a Protection Allowance at rate 2 or 3 is not entitled to claim an on-call allowance either in addition, or as an alternative, to the Protection Allowance.

i) For the purposes of this paragraph:

‘Core Protection Duties’ means normal duties carried out in furtherance of a protection operation specified by the appropriate chief officer in relation to the protection of prominent persons or their residences in pursuance of national or international functions, referred to in section 101 of the Police Act 1996;

‘Police area’ has the meaning given in section 101 of the Police Act 1996;

‘Principal’ means any prominent person in relation to whom the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis is mandated to provide Core Protection Duties;

‘red designated country’ means those countries so specified by the appropriate chief officer from time to time.”.

15. Service critical skills payment^{[footnote 6]}

a) A chief officer may award a payment to an individual officer of a rank of chief superintendent or below of up to £5,000 per annum, to be known as the service critical skills payment, where the “service critical skills” criterion is met.

b) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (a), the service critical skills criterion is met where the specific policing role in question requires a skill set that is essential to the delivery of an effective policing service and either:

(i) those skills are in demonstrably short supply and financial incentivisation is considered necessary to attract or retain those skills; or

(ii) the role in question is “hard-to-fill” and financial incentivisation is considered necessary to either attract or retain those skills or to fill the role in question.

c) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (b)(ii), a role is “hard-to-fill” if:

(i) it has not been possible to fill it despite advertising or posting attempts and this has resulted in an ongoing and unacceptably high vacancy rate; or

(ii) past levels of officer retention in the role have been poor or this situation can be reasonably predicted; or

(iii) for retention purposes, officers undertaking the role have been prevented from voluntarily applying for alternative roles.

d) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (c)(i), a vacancy is deemed to have been filled once a successful applicant is identified or a posting agreed. Delays in the actual posting taking place do not alone mean a role is “hard-to-fill”.

e) When awarding a service critical skills payment, a chief officer:

(i) shall set out the skill set and role on the basis of which an officer is receiving the payment, with reference to the requirements of paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) above; and

(ii) shall set out the payment amount in accordance with paragraph (a) and the frequency of payment in accordance with paragraph (g); and

(iii) may set out conditions which must be met for the payment to be made^{[footnote 7]}; and

(iv) must notify the receiving officer in writing of the matters the chief officer sets out under sub-paragraphs (i) and (ii), and of any conditions under sub-paragraph (iii).

f) A service critical skills payment (or a part thereof) must not be paid in the event that any of the conditions set out in accordance with sub-paragraph (e)(iii) have not been met, unless the chief officer considers it reasonable to make the payment.

g) Subject to paragraph (f), a service critical skills payment may be paid:

(i) as a one-off payment upon recruitment;

(ii) as a one-off payment on achieving a specific qualification that is required to carry out the role;

(iii) every 3 months as a lump sum in monthly salary payment;

(iv) on a monthly basis as part of monthly salary;

(v) as a lump sum in salary 12 months after appointment; or

(vi) in instalments.

h) Service critical skills payments may only be made under this part (15) in relation to time served in eligible roles between 1 July 2021 and 30 June 2029.

16. Recognition of workload payment

a) A chief officer may award a payment to an officer of superintending rank of up to £5,000 per annum, to be known as the recognition of workload payment, 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.

b) A chief officer may only determine that the demands placed on an officer exceed those usually placed on other officers of the same rank, if the officer’s role involves at least one of the following factors:

(i) unusually frequent antisocial working hours or high levels of ‘out of hours’ contact or disruption, and compensatory payment under the Police Regulations 2003 is not made or is considered insufficient compensation for the level of disruption;

(ii) command responsibilities with multiple public, not-for-profit or private sector stakeholders, crossing force internal geographic boundaries;

(iii) command responsibilities outside force boundaries, in the form of collaboration or national responsibilities;

(iv) accountability for areas of policing that attract considerable personal or career risk by virtue of their nature, level of public scrutiny or public profile;

(v) lengthy and regular periods of travel to fulfil command responsibilities;

(vi) a span of control or direct responsibility, where geographic size or officer and staff headcount is deemed exceptionally high, having regard to established local norms;

(vii) command of officers and staff from more than one force and there are differing organisational cultures, policies, procedures and operating practices within the command;

(viii) exceptionally high operational demand of continuing intensity;

(ix) the management of a large change process.

c) A recognition of workload payment may be paid:

(i) as a one-off payment upon posting;

(ii) on a monthly basis as part of monthly salary;

(iii) every 3 months as a lump sum in monthly salary payment;

(iv) as an ongoing lump sum in salary every 12 months.

d) When awarding a recognition of workload payment, a chief officer:

(i) shall set out the considerations on the basis of which an officer is receiving the payment, with reference to the requirements of paragraph (b) above; and

(ii) shall set out the payment amount in accordance with paragraph (a) and the frequency of payment in accordance with paragraph (c); and

(iii) must notify the receiving officer in writing of the matters the chief officer sets out under sub-paragraphs (i) and (ii).

e) Recognition of workload payments may only be made under this part (16) in relation to time served in eligible roles between 1 July 2021 and 30 June 2029.”

1. There were previously a paragraph 7 and 7A, but they have been deleted. To ensure cross-references in other documents remain correct, however, paragraph 8 has not been renumbered. ↩

2. There were previously a paragraph 9 and 9A, but they have been deleted. To ensure cross-references in other documents remain correct, however, paragraph 10 has not been renumbered. ↩

3. The member may be required to maintain physical control of, or immediate access to, a Conductive Energy Device or other firearm immediately before or after the shift. ↩

4. This can be paid at rate 1, 2 or 3 as applicable, but different rates cannot be paid in respect of the same period of time. ↩

5. A member entitled to a Protection Allowance is not considered to be ‘held in reserve’ for the purposes of the ↩

6. There was previously a paragraph 14, but it has been deleted. To ensure cross-references in other documents remain correct, however, paragraph 15 has not been renumbered ↩

7. For example, attaining the necessary level of accreditation or licensing. ↩