Policy paper

Home Office evidence to the Senior Salaries Review Body, 2026 to 2027: chief police officers (accessible)

Published 27 March 2026

Applies to England and Wales

1. Executive summary

The government values the vital contribution of police officers across the country who work tirelessly to keep us safe every single day.

The government’s white paper, ‘From local to national: a new model for policing^{[footnote 1]} sets out a comprehensive package of reforms to policing that aim to create a police service that is more rooted in local communities and focused on their needs. This includes the creation of a new national police force, the National Police Service, that will set stronger national standards and ensure a more consistent service is received by the public regardless of where they live. The reforms proposed in the white paper will remove the barriers that prevent the police from focusing on what matters and set up the policing system to succeed in the long-term by addressing systemic issues so that policing can better deliver for the public.

Total funding for Territorial Police Forces and Counter Terrorism Policing will be up to £19.6 billion in 2026–27, an increase of £848 million compared with the 2025–26 police funding settlement^{[footnote 2]}. This represents a 4.5% increase in cash terms and a 2.2% increase in real terms for policing. Within this, total funding to Territorial Police Forces will be up to £18.4 billion, an increase of £796 million compared with the 2025–26 settlement, representing a 4.5% cash increase and a 2.3% real terms increase for police forces.

The Minister for Policing and Crime’s remit letter^{[footnote 3]} refers the following matters to the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) in the 2026-27 pay round:

• How to apply the pay award for the chief police officer ranks in England and Wales.

• To consider proposals resulting from year two 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.

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

HM Treasury’s ‘Economic Evidence to the Pay Review Bodies’ sets out the economic, labour market and fiscal context within which the government asks the independent Pay Review Bodies to consider their recommendations for 2026-27 pay awards. It is available at Economic Evidence to the Pay Review Bodies: 2026-27 Pay Round - GOV.UK.

Basic pay

Total funding for Territorial Police Forces and Counter Terrorism Policing will be up to £19.6 billion in 2026–27, an increase of £848 million compared with the 2025–26 police funding settlement. This represents a 4.5% increase in cash terms and a 2.2% increase in real terms for policing. Within this, total funding to Territorial Police Forces will be up to £18.4 billion, an increase of £796 million compared with the 2025–26 settlement, representing a 4.5% cash increase and a 2.3% real terms increase for police forces.

Of the overall increase in force level funding, £432 million is additional government grant funding to police forces. This includes an additional £50 million to support the government’s neighbourhood policing objectives above that announced at the provisional police funding settlement in December 2025.

The overall increase in Territorial Police funding also includes up to £364 million in additional funding for forces in England and Wales from council tax precept, compared to 2025-26. As confirmed in the provisional local government finance settlement published on 17 December 2025, Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) in England will have the flexibility to increase the police precept by up to £15 for a Band D property in 2025–26. This assumes PCCs make use of the full precept flexibility of £15 for English forces.

Our current assessment is that a pay award of up to 2.5% is affordable in 2026-27 for most police forces, although affordability is not uniform and some forces are likely to face pressures even at this level. Anything above this would likely require difficult choices and financial reprioritisation to be made by policing. This will vary by force but there are some forces already facing difficult choices to balance their budgets in 2026-27 and in the medium term. Another above affordability pay award would exacerbate these pressures. Four years of above affordability pay awards has put pressure on police force budgets, particularly as newly recruited officers moved up the pay scales and there was the requirement to maintain overall officer numbers. This is supported by the National Audit Office’s report^{[footnote 4]} published November 2025, which noted that “the pressures facing policing are growing and current approaches to managing these pressures risk damaging services that police forces provide”. Ahead of the 2026-27 settlement, a number of forces made requests for exceptional financial support and for the first time the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Home Office are considering PCC applications for exceptional precepts where it is critical for financial sustainability. The applications are being considered on a case-by-case basis and will only be agreed in exceptional circumstances, following careful consideration of the force’s specific circumstances.

The government is taking steps to improve police productivity and efficiency to ease these pressures, as set out in paragraphs 34 to 42, but it will take time for these benefits to be fully realised. The white paper for police reform and police funding settlement set out that we will make further progress to deliver the £354 million cashable savings target by 2028-29 through the Police Efficiency and Collaboration Programme (PECP).

The Spending Review 2025 set departmental budgets for day-to-day spending until 2028-29. The government has been clear that pay awards need to be funded in full from within these budgets and there will be no access to the reserve. If the Pay Review Bodies recommend pay increases above the level departments have budgeted for, departments will need to carefully consider the justification for these awards and determine whether these additional costs can be borne either through offsetting savings or through further productivity gains.

The government accepted the SSRB’s recommendation of 3.9% for the 2025-26 pay award. However, since it came in well above the figures we set out as affordable within our evidence, we again had to take difficult decisions and make savings elsewhere in the Home Office’s budgets to provide additional funding of £120 million to forces to help with the increased costs. We undertook a rigorous in-year savings exercise and put in place enhanced spending controls, finding efficiencies across various programmes and reducing discretionary spend.

Pay awards of 4.75% in 2024-25, 7% in 2023-24 and £1,900 in 2022-23 (equivalent to 5% overall and targeted at the lowest pay points, with uplifts between 0.6% and 1.8% for the chief officer ranks) were also above affordability and required additional funding of c.£1.370 billion from the Home Office. It is not sustainable for the Home Office or policing to repeatedly reprioritise budgets and make savings to fund pay awards, as this comes at the expense of other investment.

We note the SSRB’s comments in its last report that recruitment and retention difficulties for chief police officers are evident in varying degrees across police forces. However, we have not received evidence to suggest that targeted pay awards are required. We are aware of concerns raised that the pay differential between the top pay point for chief superintendents and assistant chief constables has narrowed and this may affect decisions on whether an individual officer wishes to progress to the chief officer ranks. This follows increases to the top pay point for chief superintendents along with the introduction of additional allowances for this rank in recent years. This issue should be carefully monitored.

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

London Weighting

London Weighting has historically increased in line with annual pay increases. We ask the SSRB to consider the evidence put forward by policing partners on whether there is a case for increasing this in 2026-27. Any increase must be funded from within existing allocations.

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

Allowances

The Minister for Policing and Crime’s remit letter asks the SSRB to consider proposals resulting from year two 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.

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

Police reform

On 26 January, the Home Office published the white paper, ‘From local to national: a new model for policing’. Reforms include:

• Putting more officers on the beat in neighbourhood policing roles and stripping away the bureaucracy that prevents the police from focusing on the public’s priorities.

• Stripping out duplication and inefficiency in the system by moving to fewer forces, including launching an Independent Review, to report in the summer, which will identify how best to significantly reduce the number of forces.

• Focusing local forces on local crime, while strengthening our ability to tackle serious and organised crime and threats to national security by creating a new national force, the National Police Service.

• Creating a more consistent service by holding the police to account for delivering a set of Local Policing Guarantees, backed up by new powers to intervene where forces fall short.

• Freeing up resources to reinvest into frontline local policing, which will mean more visible patrols on our streets, rapid response to emergency events, effective problem-solving to tackle the drivers of crime, and stronger relationships with communities that give us a better understanding of local priorities.

• Equipping the police for the future with a modern workforce and the best technology to catch criminals. Central to this is investing tens of millions of pounds into cutting edge technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to free up officer time and get them back on the frontline.

As part of these reforms, the government will enhance opportunities to develop leadership skills and experience for those aiming to become chief constables and improve consistency in the appointments process.

On 13 November, the government announced that the PCC model will be abolished. Their roles will be absorbed by regional mayors wherever possible, meaning measures to cut crime will be considered as part of wider public services like education and healthcare. In areas not covered by a mayor, the PCC role will be taken on by elected council leaders. The transition to the new model will happen at the end of PCCs’ current term of office in May 2028.

Senior policing in England and Wales

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.

The police reform white paper sets out the government’s intention to significantly reduce the number of police forces in England and Wales by the end of the next Parliament. An independent review of police structures will examine the optimal configuration of regional police forces and the best approach to implementation. It will report in the summer.

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.

While the PCC model will be abolished and replaced with new governance structures, the size and make-up of the police workforce is currently a matter for each chief constable to decide locally in conjunction with their PCC^{[footnote 5]}. 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.

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.

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, clarified the roles and responsibilities of PCCs, chief constables and police and crime panels. Following consultation with relevant parties, the Policing Protocol Order 2023^{[footnote 6]} 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.

Other changes include 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 funding

In 2026-27, total funding for police forces will be up to £18.4 billion, an increase of up to

£796 million compared to the 2025-26 police funding settlement. This includes £432 million additional government grant funding and up to £364 million additional funding from council tax precept, based on current forecasts and assuming all PCCs maximise their precept flexibility. This equates to a 4.5% cash increase and a 2.3% real terms increase for the policing system.

The figures above include the flexibility for PCCs to increase precept by up to £15 for a Band D equivalent property (for English forces). PCCs may go further should they wish by holding a local referendum.

The 2026-27 police funding settlement confirmed the removal of the officer maintenance grant, providing forces with the flexibility to better shape their workforce.

The settlement also included an additional £50 million following the provisional settlement, emphasising the government’s priority to support the delivery of 13,000 additional neighbourhood personnel and incentivise forces to grow neighbourhood policing teams.

Productivity and efficiency

Our recently published police reform white paper will pave the way for efficiency improvements, setting out a vision to bring policing into the modern age with the technology, innovation and structures they need to deliver far better value for the taxpayer. This will ensure that all police forces are equipped to deliver the government’s Safer Streets Mission and Plan for Change. It is right that as part of these reforms the government is ambitious in working with policing to make efficiencies and cut costs, whilst ensuring it has the resources it needs.

We have established the PECP working with the NPCC and Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) to improve the efficiency and productivity of policing by driving long-term sustainable improvement, freeing up resources and time for reinvestment into priority areas and improving overall outcomes for the public. PECP is driving the delivery of cashable efficiencies of £354 million and millions of hours of officer time by 2028-29.

PECP is underpinned by tripartite decision-making. It is supplementing a Home Office led team by engaging external expert resources and incorporating secondees from policing, as well as embedding Police Digital Service, BlueLight Commercial and Crown Commercial Service teams to accelerate progress.

PECP will undertake a number of activities including driving commercial efficiencies through national frameworks and buying; increased cost recovery for services policing delivers; introducing new shared services as part of the delivery of the proposed National Police Service (Transition State One); and improving productivity through better use of AI, data and technology.

PECP has already delivered savings through the piloting of a new national buying approach to vehicles, IT and defibrillators that has shown the value of buying once and buying well, driving savings that would not have been possible at force level.

PECP has worked to ensure that the police can recover costs on services, including delivering legislative changes to provide clarity on the police’s power to charge for the National Driver Offender Retraining Scheme courses supporting great cost recovery and increasing firearms fees to full cost recovery.

PECP is focussed on both delivering cashable savings and long-term sustainable change and productivity improvements. This means that part of the programme is identifying and delivering productivity improvements across police forces that reduce administrative burdens and tackle bureaucracy within policing to free-up officer time and resources, which can then be re-invested into priority areas. We are sponsoring the Centre for Police Productivity, within the College of Policing, to support police forces in driving productivity improvements consistently, through fast-tracking proven innovations via blueprints and frameworks, developing productivity tools and rolling out benefits guidance across all forces.

Under PECP, the proposed National Police Service aims to bring together crucial existing national operational support services including National Policing Air Service, National IT, National Commercial and National Forensics for local police forces to draw upon, to raise standards and improve efficiency. PECP would work to optimise these in-scope services, before transitioning them into the proposed National Police Service to support long-term sustainability of national enabling capabilities and operational support services for policing.

We are investing tens of millions of pounds in technology to get officers onto the frontline and enable them to do their jobs effectively. Since the election, the government has provided over £50m to policing to support the rapid and responsible testing and rollout of AI-enabled tools. This activity has focused on areas where AI can make the biggest difference, and where we have confidence in the quality of the AI outputs. We want to go further and are looking at how we can accelerate our AI ambitions as part of the police reform agenda.

4. Chief officer workforce

Leadership

The government has been clear that strong leadership at all ranks is essential to drive cultural change and raise standards across all levels. The Home Office continues to work closely with the College of Policing to develop plans for implementing and improving training and professional development offer for officers, including considering how we can ensure consistency across forces whilst recognising the police’s operational independence.

The College of Policing has developed national leadership standards at all levels of the workforce. All officers and staff are encouraged to undertake leadership development to support them in their role. As published in the white paper on police reform, we are looking to mandate leadership standards by setting out national leadership development programmes. These programmes will ensure that all officers can demonstrate that they are equipped with the right leadership skills and meet the required standard before they reach more senior ranks.

It is vital that we improve the diversity of the pipeline for senior leadership roles and ensure that there is fairer access to those positions. We are looking to ensure that the processes to support the successful selection and appointment of chief constables are more rigorous and are rooted in consistent standards. As part of the wider police reforms, we will work with the sector to develop a standardised central appointment panel to support the selection and appointment of chief constables. The panel will provide an objective and professional voice during the selection, ensuring forces are equipped to meet future leadership needs.

Strengthening chief officer development and broadening their experience prior to becoming a chief constable is paramount to delivering resilient and strong leadership across forces. As part of the wider police reforms, there will be a requirement for officers to move between forces or gain external experience to help them develop their leadership skills, gain new perspectives and learn from other partner organisations.

A new Leadership Commission led by Lord Blunkett and Lord Herbert has been set up by the College of Policing, with the support of the Home Office. It is running in parallel with ongoing work on police reform and will report to the government in May 2026. The Commission is conducting a comprehensive review of police leadership at all levels to ensure policing can respond to evolving threats and challenges and meet public expectations. This includes considering what skills and capabilities are needed in police leaders at all levels to ensure they can perform and deliver effective service. It is examining the current entry routes into policing and considering potential alternative models to attract, fast-track and develop the brightest talent. It is also reviewing the impact of police reforms to date; level of investment in leadership development; and balance between national and local programmes. Current training and development programmes for officers and staff are being examined as well as how leadership shapes police culture and addresses systemic issues.

The Leadership Commission is seeking a broad range of views from within and outside the service working closely with the College of Policing to ensure practical and achievable recommendations. The focus is on creating a culture of continuous learning and development that unlocks leadership potential at every level of the service.

The College’s National Talent Development Strategy was launched in January 2025 to introduce a consistent approach to developing talent nationally, and is dedicated to supporting leadership development, promotion, and progression for everyone in policing. The strategy will help to address the gaps in leadership by ensuring that everyone in policing who shows leadership ability is able to develop the skills they need to progress, with a particular focus on under-represented groups. This will all help to ensure a strong pipeline of senior leaders for the future.

Diversity

Police forces that reflect the communities they serve are crucial to tackling crime and maintaining public trust and confidence in a modern diverse society. 36.1% of the police officer workforce are female and 8.5% are from ethnic minority backgrounds.

Females and those from ethnic minority backgrounds are significantly underrepresented in the chief police officer ranks. As at 31 March 2025, of the 263 (full-time equivalent) chief police officers in England and Wales, 30.1% are females and 4.5% are from ethnic minority backgrounds^{[footnote 7]}.

Appointments

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.

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.

Currently, 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. However, on 14 January, the government announced that it is reintroducing a power for the Home Secretary to remove a chief constable on performance grounds.

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. On 13 November, the government announced that PCCs will be abolished. Their roles will be absorbed by regional mayors wherever possible, meaning measures to cut crime will be considered as part of wider public services like education and healthcare. In areas not covered by a mayor, the PCC role will be taken on by elected council leaders. The transition to the new model will happen at the end of PCCs’ current term of office in May 2028. Therefore, any changes to chief constable appointments will be in line with the new police governance model.

Morale and wellbeing

Since the introduction of the Police Covenant in 2022, the Home Office and our partners in policing have made strides to address disadvantages relating to the health and wellbeing experienced by the police workforce, their families and those who have left policing. Though the needs of senior officers will often match those of the rank and file, the Covenant recognises that there are specific areas of support they need.

Building on the work of last year, the government has continued to push forward work to meet the needs of chief officers and the wider workforce. For the first time, a clear set of guidelines for chief officers has been published by the National Police Wellbeing Service (NPWS) and the Chief Medical Officer for Policing. The Workforce Prioritisation Guidance provides clarity and direction for chief officers, ensuring they know what to deliver and how so that their workforces are fully supported.

Following a successful pilot, a national mental health helpline has been established, providing officers and staff with support when they need it the most.

The government’s police reform white paper contains clear commitments to provide support to the police workforce, past and present, and their families. As well as introducing a new package of wellbeing measures, the government has committed to look at ways of strengthening the Covenant including, if necessary, through additional legislation.

5. Chief officer pay and conditions

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

Since 1 September 2003, chief constables and deputy chief constables (and their Metropolitan Police Service equivalents) have received spot rate salaries. Following recommendations made by the PRRB, implementation of a new pay structure to reduce the pay groups from 12 to three concluded on 1 June 2025.

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.

Metropolitan Police Service

The Metropolitan Police Service has five ranks at chief 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

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

Assistant chief constables and commanders

Assistant chief constables and commanders have a pay scale with three pay points. All other chief police officer ranks receive a spot rate salary. The current rates of pay for chief police officers are in Annex A.

The table below shows median basic pay for assistant chief constables and commanders since 2021. 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 1: Median basic pay by year for assistant chief constables and commanders

	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
In London	£116,319	£111,138	£111,300	£121,810	£126,538
Outside London	£113,761	£115,714	£112,151	£120,293	£123,152

Source: Home Office analysis of the Police Workforce Census, 31 March 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.

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

Allowances

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

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 Minister for Policing and Crime’s remit letter asks the SSRB to consider proposals resulting from year two of the review of allowances for those that apply to chief officers, taking into account the views of policing stakeholders.

The table below shows median total earnings for assistant chief constables and commanders since 2021. 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 1: Median total earnings (which includes basic pay and allowances) by year for assistant chief constables and commanders

	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
In London	£132,182	£126,126	£120,721	£140,133	£144,342
Outside London	£118,009	£119,200	£117,764	£123,126	£126,060

Source: Home Office analysis of the Police Workforce Census, 31 March 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.

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

Pensions

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 8]}.

Annual employer pension contributions for an assistant chief constable on pay point 1 are £44,191, and £84,796 for a chief constable at the top of pay group 3.

The pension scheme provides an ill-health pension for members where they are assessed as being permanently medically unfit for the ordinary duties of a member of the force. 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 or partner pensions, child pensions and a death in service lump sum.

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

In November 2024, the Home Office launched a formal consultation on amendments to the Police Pension Regulations 2015. The consultation sought views on proposed changes to the structure of member contributions, with a view to continuing to encourage participation in the Scheme.

The Home Office’s response to the consultation was published in November 2025^{[footnote 9]}. It confirmed broad support for retaining a tiered contribution structure, with a preference for approaches that are administratively sustainable, fair and capable of delivering the required member contribution yield. Respondents also highlighted the importance of protecting lower-paid members, supporting scheme participation and ensuring that contribution structures do not act as a disincentive to promotion or retention.

In light of the consultation responses, the government will proceed with implementing a revised member contribution structure that reflects the feedback received. These changes are as follows:

• Retaining the tiered structure: The existing three-tier structure will be retained.
• Increasing tier thresholds: The thresholds for each contribution tier will be increased in line with known pay increases since 2015.

• Switch from FTE to actual pay: Member contribution tiers will now be determined based on a member’s actual pensionable pay from the previous scheme year, rather than FTE salary.
• Ongoing review: Contribution thresholds will continue to be reviewed as part of the regular scheme valuation cycle, rather than being automatically uplifted by a fixed index such as CPI.

McCloud/Sargeant

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.

To rectify this discrimination, 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).

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).

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). The Home Office continues to support the resolution of a small number of technical and complex issues arising from the remedy process, including a small cohort of members impacted as a result of opting back into the pension scheme during the remedy period.

Removal of chief police officers

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: Current pay scales

Chief constables

Current force weighting	Force	With effect from 1 June 2025	With effect from 1 September 2025
	GROUP 1	£231,198	£240,215
10.0	Greater Manchester	£231,198	£240,215
10.0	West Midlands	£231,198	£240,215
8.5	West Yorkshire	£231,198	£240,215
6.5	Thames Valley	£231,198	£240,215
	GROUP 2	£200,652	£208,477
6.0	Merseyside	£200,652	£208,477
6.0	Northumbria	£200,652	£208,477
5.5	Hampshire	£200,652	£208,477
5.0	Devon and Cornwall	£200,652	£208,477
5.0	Kent	£200,652	£208,477
5.0	Lancashire	£200,652	£208,477
4.5	Avon and Somerset	£200,652	£208,477
4.5	Essex	£200,652	£208,477
4.5	South Wales	£200,652	£208,477
4.5	South Yorkshire	£200,652	£208,477
4.5	Sussex	£200,652	£208,477
	GROUP 3	£181,575	£188,656
3.5	Nottinghamshire	£181,575	£188,656
3.0	Cheshire	£181,575	£188,656
3.0	Derbyshire	£181,575	£188,656
3.0	Hertfordshire	£181,575	£188,656
3.0	Humberside	£181,575	£188,656
3.0	Leicestershire	£181,575	£188,656
3.0	Staffordshire	£181,575	£188,656
3.0	West Mercia	£181,575	£188,656
2.5	Norfolk	£181,575	£188,656
2.5	Surrey	£181,575	£188,656
2.0	Bedfordshire	£181,575	£188,656
2.0	Cambridgeshire	£181,575	£188,656
2.0	Cleveland	£181,575	£188,656
2.0	Dorset	£181,575	£188,656
2.0	Durham	£181,575	£188,656
2.0	Gwent	£181,575	£188,656
2.0	North Yorkshire	£181,575	£188,656
2.0	North Wales	£181,575	£188,656
2.0	Northamptonshire	£181,575	£188,656
2.0	Suffolk	£181,575	£188,656
2.0	Wiltshire	£181,575	£188,656
1.5	Cumbria	£181,575	£188,656
1.5	Dyfed-Powys	£181,575	£188,656
1.5	Gloucestershire	£181,575	£188,656
1.5	Lincolnshire	£181,575	£188,656
1.5	Warwickshire	£181,575	£188,656

Deputy chief constables

Current force weighting	Force	With effect from 1 June 2025	With effect from 1 September 2025
	GROUP 1	£190,737	£198,176
10.0	Greater Manchester	£190,737	£198,176
10.0	West Midlands	£190,737	£198,176
8.5	West Yorkshire	£190,737	£198,176
6.5	Thames Valley	£190,737	£198,176
	GROUP 2	£165,537	£171,993
6.0	Merseyside	£165,537	£171,993
6.0	Northumbria	£165,537	£171,993
5.5	Hampshire	£165,537	£171,993
5.0	Devon and Cornwall	£165,537	£171,993
5.0	Kent	£165,537	£171,993
5.0	Lancashire	£165,537	£171,993
4.5	Avon and Somerset	£165,537	£171,993
4.5	Essex	£165,537	£171,993
4.5	South Wales	£165,537	£171,993
4.5	South Yorkshire	£165,537	£171,993
4.5	Sussex	£165,537	£171,993
	GROUP 3	£149,799	£155,641
3.5	Nottinghamshire	£149,799	£155,641
3.0	Cheshire	£149,799	£155,641
3.0	Derbyshire	£149,799	£155,641
3.0	Hertfordshire	£149,799	£155,641
3.0	Humberside	£149,799	£155,641
3.0	Leicestershire	£149,799	£155,641
3.0	Staffordshire	£149,799	£155,641
3.0	West Mercia	£149,799	£155,641
2.5	Norfolk	£149,799	£155,641
2.5	Surrey	£149,799	£155,641
2.0	Bedfordshire	£149,799	£155,641
2.0	Cambridgeshire	£149,799	£155,641
2.0	Cleveland	£149,799	£155,641
2.0	Dorset	£149,799	£155,641
2.0	Durham	£149,799	£155,641
2.0	Gwent	£149,799	£155,641
2.0	North Yorkshire	£149,799	£155,641
2.0	North Wales	£149,799	£155,641
2.0	Northamptonshire	£149,799	£155,641
2.0	Suffolk	£149,799	£155,641
2.0	Wiltshire	£149,799	£155,641
1.5	Cumbria	£149,799	£155,641
1.5	Dyfed-Powys	£149,799	£155,641
1.5	Gloucestershire	£149,799	£155,641
1.5	Lincolnshire	£149,799	£155,641
1.5	Warwickshire	£149,799	£155,641

Commissioners, deputy commissioners, assistant commissioners and deputy assistant commissioners

Ranks subject to 2-year transitional uplift

Force	Rank	With effect from 1 June 2025	With effect from 1 September 2025
Metropolitan	Assistant Commissioner	£231,198	£240,215
Metropolitan	Deputy Assistant Commissioner	£190,737	£198,176

Ranks not subject to 2-year transitional uplift

Force	Rank	With effect from 1 September 2025
Metropolitan	Commissioner	£343,353
City of London	Commissioner	£213,253
Metropolitan	Deputy Commissioner	£283,846
City of London	Assistant Commissioner	£176,285

Assistant chief constables and commanders

Pay Point	With effect from 1 September 2025
1	£125,188
2	£133,115
3	£141,050

Annex B: 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 £3,150 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:
  • £6,588 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.
• 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.
• With effect from 1 January 2025, where a chief officer would qualify for relocation expenses, but they are temporarily or permanently unable to move house due to their domestic circumstances, they may instead receive a rental allowance.

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.

1. From local to national: a new model for policing - GOV.UK ↩

2. Written statements - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament ↩

3. Remit letter to the Senior Salaries Review Body for chief police officers: 2026 to 2027 - GOV.UK ↩

4. NAO report - Police productivity ↩

5. References to PCCs also include combined authority mayors with PCC functions, the Mayor of London, and the Common Council of the City of London as a police authority. ↩

6. The Policing Protocol Order 2023 ↩

7. Police workforce, England and Wales: 31 March 2025 (second edition) - GOV.UK ↩

8. Economic Evidence to the Pay Review Bodies 2026-27 Pay Round - GOV.UK ↩

9. Police pensions: member contribution structure - GOV.UK ↩