Last reviewed: 30 June 2026
Current position: The Government has not yet announced the 2026–27 police pay award for England and Wales.
Next review trigger: This article should be reviewed immediately when the Police Remuneration Review Body report or the Government’s formal response is published.
Editorial note: This article separates confirmed government information, stakeholder pay requests and editorial estimates. Forecasts are not presented as confirmed pay decisions.
Pay and financial information notice: This article provides general information about the police pay-review process. It does not provide personalised financial, employment, pension or tax advice.
Officers should rely on the final Government announcement, formal pay determinations and guidance from their force, payroll department or representative body.
Police officers waiting for the 2026 pay decision do not yet have a confirmed announcement date or final percentage.
On 15 June 2026, the Police Federation of England and Wales stated that the Home Office would announce the award “in the coming weeks”. However, it did not identify a specific announcement date. The official PRRB publications page also did not contain a 2026 England and Wales report as of 30 June 2026.
A decision during July or early August 2026 is a reasonable working estimate based on recent publication patterns. The England and Wales PRRB reports were published on 13 July 2023, 29 July 2024 and 1 August 2025. Nevertheless, previous publication dates do not create a binding timetable for 2026.
The main process explained in this article applies to police officers in England and Wales up to and including the rank of chief superintendent. Scotland has a separately negotiated settlement, while Northern Ireland has its own remit and approval arrangements.
Quick Answer: When Will the Police Pay Rise Be Announced?
No official announcement date has been confirmed for the 2026–27 police pay award in England and Wales.
The Police Federation expects an announcement in the coming weeks. Based on the publication dates of the three most recent PRRB reports, July or early August 2026 appears to be the most plausible window. This is an editorial estimate rather than a government deadline.
The Government’s remit letter confirms that the police pay year begins on 1 September. It says ministers are committed to announcing pay awards as close to that date as possible, but it does not promise an announcement on a particular day.
Officers should therefore distinguish between:
- an official Government announcement;
- an expected publication window;
- a stakeholder pay request; and
- an independent forecast.
Only the formal Government response and subsequent implementation documents can confirm the percentage, effective date, covered salary points and treatment of allowances.
Is There an Official Police Pay Announcement Date?
No. The 2026–27 remit letter does not set a fixed announcement date.
The Minister of State for Policing and Crime formally opened the pay round on 19 February 2026. The letter asked the PRRB to submit its report at the earliest point that would still allow proper consideration of the available evidence.
It also confirmed that the police pay year begins on 1 September.
This establishes the intended pay cycle, but it does not guarantee publication in July, August or on any other particular date.
What is the most likely announcement window?
July or early August 2026 is currently the most defensible estimated window.
That estimate is based on:
- the Police Federation’s statement that an announcement is expected in the coming weeks;
- the timing of the 2023, 2024 and 2025 PRRB reports; and
- the Government’s stated intention to announce awards close to the beginning of the police pay year.
The estimate should not be described as confirmed. The review body’s report could be published earlier or later, and ministers may require time to consider its recommendations.
Independent websites may publish more precise dates or predicted percentages. Such forecasts can be useful for monitoring developments but do not carry the authority of GOV.UK, the Home Office or the PRRB.
What Is the 2026–27 Police Pay Award?
The 2026–27 police pay award will determine how the annual pay decision is applied to covered police officers in England and Wales.
It may affect basic salary points and could also involve recommendations relating to allowances. The remit specifically asks the PRRB to consider proposals arising from the second year of the National Police Chiefs’ Council review of allowances.
The headline annual award is different from individual salary progression.
Where an officer is eligible to progress to another point on a pay scale, that progression is governed by the relevant pay framework. The annual award is a broader decision that can alter the value of salary points across covered ranks.
A consolidated increase becomes part of basic salary rather than being paid only as a temporary or one-off amount. The Police Federation has requested a minimum consolidated increase of 7% for 2026–27.
Who Is Covered by the PRRB Process?
The 2026–27 England and Wales remit covers police officers in ranks up to and including chief superintendent.
This includes:
- constables
- sergeants
- inspectors
- chief inspectors
- superintendents
- chief superintendents
The PRRB is an advisory public body that provides independent advice to the Government on pay and conditions for officers at or below the rank of chief superintendent.
Chief police officer remuneration is considered through the Senior Salaries Review Body. The Home Office submitted separate 2026–27 evidence covering chief officer ranks.
Are police staff included in the same award?
Police staff should not assume that the police officer award automatically applies to them.
Police staff are employees and normally have separate collective bargaining arrangements through the Police Staff Council. The Local Government Association describes this as a separate voluntary negotiating structure for police staff in England and Wales.
For 2026, the Police Staff Council Trade Union Side has submitted a separate claim seeking a 9% increase or £2,700 on all Police Staff Council pay points, whichever is greater. That is a trade union claim rather than an agreed settlement.
A person employed by a police force could therefore face a different settlement, timetable and implementation process depending on whether that person is a warranted police officer or a member of police staff.
Who Decides the Police Pay Rise?
The PRRB reviews the evidence and recommends an outcome, but ministers make the final decision.
The review body receives evidence from the Home Office, representative organisations and policing stakeholders. It may consider affordability, workforce data, recruitment, retention, morale, responsibilities and the wider economic position.
The normal process is:
- The Government issues a remit letter.
- The Home Office and policing organisations submit evidence.
- The PRRB considers written and oral evidence.
- The PRRB prepares recommendations.
- The report is submitted to the Government.
- Ministers decide how to respond.
- The report and Government response are published.
- Formal pay and implementation instructions are issued.
The 2026–27 remit was formally opened on 19 February 2026. The Home Office published its evidence on 27 March 2026.
Can the Government reject a PRRB recommendation?
The PRRB is advisory. Its recommendations are influential, but they are not the final award until the Government publishes its decision and completes the required implementation process.
A PRRB recommendation should therefore not be reported as a confirmed pay rise before ministers formally respond.
The same caution applies to:
- figures requested by the Police Federation;
- affordability assumptions submitted by the Home Office;
- proposals from police chiefs; and
- percentages predicted by independent websites.
What Has Been Confirmed About the 2026 Police Pay Rise?
The pay-review process is under way, but the final percentage remains unconfirmed.
The following points are established:
- The England and Wales remit was published on 19 February 2026.
- The Home Office submitted its evidence on 27 March 2026.
- The Police Federation has requested a minimum 7% consolidated award.
- The Home Office considers an award of up to 2.5% affordable for most forces.
- The 2026 PRRB report and Government response had not been published by 30 June 2026.
The figures of 2.5% and 7% have different meanings. Neither is the confirmed award.
The Home Office says up to 2.5% is affordable
The Home Office’s evidence says its current assessment is that an award of up to 2.5% is affordable for most police forces in 2026–27.
It also warns that affordability is not uniform. Some forces may experience financial pressure even at that level, while an award above 2.5% could require reprioritisation, savings or other difficult budget decisions.
The 2.5% figure is an affordability assessment. It is not:
- an offer formally made to individual officers;
- a PRRB recommendation;
- a confirmed Government decision; or
- a published salary increase.
The Home Office also noted that the Government accepted a 4.2% recommendation for 2025–26 even though that award was above the level previously assessed as affordable. Additional funding and departmental savings were then used to help forces meet the cost.
Past decisions do not predict the 2026 outcome, but they demonstrate why an affordability figure should not be mistaken for the final award.
The Police Federation is calling for at least 7%
The Police Federation of England and Wales has requested a minimum 7% consolidated increase for 2026–27, followed by 7% in each of the next two years.
The Federation says a multi-year settlement is needed to address real-terms pay erosion, recruitment, retention, experience levels and officer morale. It has also proposed changes involving allowances, leave and other conditions.
The 7% figure is a stakeholder request. The PRRB is not required to recommend it, and the Government is not required to approve it.
How Much Could the Police Pay Rise Be in 2026?
The final percentage cannot yet be stated reliably.
The official evidence contains a substantial gap between the Home Office’s affordability position and the Police Federation’s request:
| Figure | Meaning | Status |
| 2.5% | Home Office assessment of what is affordable for most forces | Evidence, not an award |
| 7% | Police Federation’s requested minimum consolidated increase | Pay request, not an award |
| Final percentage | Amount approved through the Government process | Not yet announced |
It is possible that the eventual recommendation or award will fall between the two figures, exceed the affordability assessment or involve additional decisions concerning allowances. Any percentage suggested before publication remains speculative.
For stronger YMYL accuracy, this article does not treat independent forecast ranges as evidence of the likely final award. Forecasts may be affected by assumptions that are not endorsed by the PRRB or Government.
Police Pay Claims, Recommendations and Awards Compared
| Term | What it means | Who produces it? | Is it the final award? |
| Pay request or claim | The increase sought by a representative organisation | Police Federation or another representative body | No |
| Affordability evidence | An assessment of what budgets may support | Home Office, employers or policing organisations | No |
| PRRB recommendation | Independent advice after reviewing the evidence | Police Remuneration Review Body | No |
| Government response | Ministers’ decision on the recommendations | UK Government and Home Office | Official decision |
| Formal determination | The legal or administrative instrument implementing the decision | Relevant government and policing authorities | Governs implementation |
| Updated pay scales | Revised salary values issued after the decision | Government, policing and force authorities | Reflects the implemented award |
This distinction is particularly important because search snippets, social-media posts and AI-generated summaries may incorrectly merge a stakeholder claim, a budget assumption and a confirmed award.
When Would the New Police Pay Rates Take Effect?
The police pay year begins on 1 September.
The remit letter says the Government is committed to announcing awards as close to the start of the pay year as possible. However, the final response and formal pay determination must be checked before treating 1 September 2026 as the confirmed effective date for every part of the award.
Several different dates may be relevant:
| Date | Meaning |
| Announcement date | When the Government publishes its decision |
| Effective date | When entitlement to the revised rate begins |
| Implementation date | When formal instructions or revised scales are issued |
| Payroll date | The payslip on which a force first processes the revised amount |
| Adjustment date | When any amount owed from an earlier effective date is paid |
The announcement date and payroll date do not always match. Forces may need time to update salary scales, payroll software, pension deductions and relevant allowances.
Would officers receive back pay?
A retrospective payroll adjustment could become due where the final award takes effect before a force is able to process the revised salary.
Whether an adjustment is required will depend on:
- the effective date in the final determination;
- when the force applies the new scales;
- the salary points covered; and
- the treatment of relevant allowances.
Officers should not assume a particular payment month or net amount before their force issues payroll guidance.
Tax, National Insurance, pension contributions, student loan deductions and other payroll adjustments may mean that the increase in take-home pay is lower than the headline gross percentage.
Why Can the Police Pay Announcement Take Time?
The pay-review process involves more than selecting a headline percentage.
The PRRB must consider evidence submitted by organisations with different responsibilities and priorities. Ministers must then consider the recommendations alongside affordability, policing budgets and any proposed changes to allowances or working arrangements.
The process can involve:
- collecting written evidence;
- holding oral evidence sessions;
- examining workforce and retention data;
- assessing force affordability;
- considering allowance proposals;
- preparing the PRRB report;
- reviewing the recommendations across government; and
- preparing the Government response and implementation documents.
The absence of an announcement does not show that the award has been rejected, reduced or delayed indefinitely. It means that the final decision has not yet been published.
Similarly, a later publication date would not automatically determine the effective date. Announcement, entitlement and payroll implementation are separate stages.
Does the Police Pay Announcement Apply Across the Whole UK?
No. Police pay is not determined through one identical UK-wide settlement.
England and Wales
The 2026–27 Home Office evidence and remit covered in this article apply to officers in England and Wales up to and including chief superintendent.
Scotland
Police officers in Scotland are covered by a separate negotiated agreement.
The Scottish agreement provides a base increase of 3.5% for 2026–27. It also includes an inflation guarantee under which the total uplift is intended to be one percentage point above average CPI inflation for the 2026 calendar year.
Where average 2026 CPI exceeds 2.5%, an additional inflation-guarantee payment may be applied in March 2027 under the terms of the agreement.
Police Scotland officers should therefore use official Scottish Government, Police Scotland and Police Negotiating Board for Scotland information rather than relying on the England and Wales announcement.
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland has a separate PRRB remit and decision-making process.
The Northern Ireland Minister of Justice issued the 2026 remit on 25 February 2026. Although the PRRB provides recommendations, Northern Ireland has separate approval, funding and implementation arrangements.
An England and Wales announcement should not automatically be treated as confirmation of the Police Service of Northern Ireland award.
Misinformation and Misleading Claims to Avoid
“The 2026 police pay rise has been confirmed at 7%”
This is incorrect as of 30 June 2026.
The Police Federation has requested a minimum 7% consolidated increase, but that request is not the final award.
“The Government has announced a 2.5% rise”
This is also incorrect.
The Home Office has said that up to 2.5% is affordable for most forces. That statement forms part of its evidence to the PRRB and is not a Government pay announcement.
“The award applies to everyone employed by a police force”
Police officers and police staff generally follow different pay processes. Police staff have separate Police Staff Council arrangements and a separate 2026 claim.
“A July announcement is guaranteed”
July is a plausible estimate, not a confirmed deadline.
Recent reports have appeared in July and early August, but the 2026 remit letter does not establish a fixed publication date.
“The same award covers every UK police service”
England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have different pay processes or implementation arrangements.
Real-Life Example: How Timing Could Affect an Officer
Consider a hypothetical police constable in England.
The Government publishes a pay award stating that revised salary scales apply from 1 September. However, the officer’s force has already completed the payroll run in which the revised salary would normally have appeared.
The force then updates its system and calculates the difference between the officer’s previous salary and the revised entitlement from the effective date.
A later payslip may contain:
- the officer’s new regular salary;
- an adjustment for an earlier pay period;
- revised pension contributions;
- income tax and National Insurance deductions; and
- changes to any allowance specifically covered by the award.
The gross adjustment would not necessarily equal the increase in take-home pay.
This is an illustrative example only. It does not predict that implementation will be delayed or guarantee that officers will receive an adjustment in a particular month.
2026 Police Pay Announcement Timeline
| Stage | Date or status |
| England and Wales PRRB remit published | 19 February 2026 |
| Northern Ireland PRRB remit published | 25 February 2026 |
| Home Office England and Wales evidence published | 27 March 2026 |
| Police Federation evidence update | 15 June 2026 |
| PRRB recommendation | Awaiting publication |
| Government response | Awaiting publication |
| Editorially estimated announcement window | July or early August 2026, not confirmed |
| Start of England and Wales police pay year | 1 September 2026 |
The published dates are confirmed by official sources. The July or early August window is an estimate based on the Police Federation’s statement and previous PRRB publication dates.
Where Will the Official Police Pay Award Be Published?
The most authoritative sources are:
- GOV.UK;
- the Home Office;
- the Police Remuneration Review Body’s GOV.UK collection;
- the formal Government response;
- official force communications;
- force payroll or human-resources guidance; and
- the Police Federation of England and Wales.
Scottish officers should use official Scottish Government, Police Scotland and Police Negotiating Board for Scotland sources.
PSNI officers should check the Northern Ireland Department of Justice, PSNI and relevant representative-body communications.
Independent pay websites may provide commentary or forecasts, but they should not replace the final Government response or formal pay determination.
What Should Officers Do While Waiting?
Officers should avoid treating any unconfirmed percentage as guaranteed household income.
When the announcement is published, the most important points to check will be:
- the confirmed percentage
- whether the increase is consolidated
- which ranks and salary points are covered
- the effective date
- whether London Weighting changes
- the treatment of regional and specialist allowances
- when the force will update payroll
- whether any retrospective adjustment is required
- how pension contributions and other deductions are affected
A headline percentage does not produce the same net increase for every officer.
Take-home pay may depend on:
- existing salary
- tax code
- pension scheme and contribution rate
- National Insurance
- student loan deductions
- overtime
- taxable allowances
- salary sacrifice arrangements
- other individual deductions
Officers needing a personal calculation should use confirmed salary scales and seek guidance from their payroll team, representative body or a suitably qualified financial professional.
Conclusion
For anyone asking when will police pay rise be announced, the most accurate answer is that the 2026–27 England and Wales award is expected in the coming weeks, but the Government has not confirmed a specific publication date.
July or early August 2026 is currently the most supportable estimated window because the previous three reports were published between 13 July and 1 August. However, historical timing does not guarantee the 2026 date.
Officers should not treat either 2.5% or 7% as confirmed. The first is the Home Office’s affordability assessment, while the second is the Police Federation’s requested minimum award.
The result should only be reported as confirmed when the Government publishes its response to the PRRB recommendations and the implementation details become available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will police officers get a pay rise in 2026?
A 2026 pay rise is expected, but the final award has not yet been confirmed. The Home Office suggests up to 2.5%, while the Police Federation is asking for at least 7%.
How long does it take to get a pay rise in the police?
Police pay is usually reviewed once a year. New rates normally apply from 1 September, although payroll updates may take longer.
What is a 25 year police pension worth?
There is no fixed amount because it depends on salary, scheme membership and retirement age. Officers should check their pension statement for an accurate estimate.
Do police get a final salary pension?
The current 2015 police pension is a career-average scheme. Some officers may still have final-salary benefits from older schemes.
How much is the increase for pensioners in 2026?
Eligible public service pensions increased by 3.8% from April 2026. Some younger pensioners may not receive the increase immediately.
What is the expected salary increase for 2026?
No final police salary increase has been confirmed. Current public positions range from 2.5% to 7%.
Sources
- Home Office evidence to the Police Remuneration Review Body, 2026 to 2027
- PRRB remit letter for the 2026 to 2027 pay round
- Police Federation: Police Pay 2026—Our Evidence to PRRB
- Police Remuneration Review Body: About Us
- Police Remuneration Review Body report: 2025 England and Wales
- Police Scotland: Multi-year police officer pay agreement