Police officers across England and Wales are in line for a 3.5 per cent pay rise this year despite calls for an award which is more in line with inflation.
The Home Office has made its formal submission to the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) and suggested a 3.5 per cent increase would be affordable.
The PRRB will now consider the evidence before reporting back to ministers with its recommendations in May.
The Police Federation withdrew its cooperation with the PRRB two years ago after questioning its independence in the wake of a zero per cent pay award.
Staffordshire Police Federation chair Lee Robinson warned that a 3.5 per cent increase would mean another real terms pay cut for police officers against a backdrop of high inflation and rising food and energy prices.
Lee said he backed Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley’s calls for a pay award of around 10 per cent.
He said: “Our members have endured real terms pay cuts for more than a decade now and I think it’s time to say enough’s enough.
“The Commissioner of the Met has come out and called for a 10 per cent rise for his officers and I would echo that.
“Inflation is running at around 10 per cent so a 3.5 per cent offer would be another cut in real terms and that is not acceptable. We have to be looking at a pay rise that falls broadly in line with inflation.
“As things stand, some of our members - who put their lives on the line every day to protect others - can barely afford to petrol in their cars so something has to change.”
In its written submission to the PRRB, the Home Office said it was working closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) on assumptions on pay and other anticipated pressures.
It said considering the additional funding available from £17.2 billion 2023/24 police funding settlement, and forces seeking to maximise efficiencies, there was scope for forces to budget up to a 3.5 per cent pay award.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman urged the PRRB to take inflation into account before publishing its final recommendations.
She said: “Pay awards must strike a careful balance - recognising the vital importance of public sector workers while delivering value for the taxpayer, considering private sector pay levels, not increasing the country's debt further and being careful not to drive prices even higher in the future.
“In the current economic context, it is particularly important that pay review bodies have regard to the Government’s inflation target when forming recommendations.”
