Cheshire Police officers feel worse off financially now than they were five years ago

Cheshire Police officers feel worse off financially now than they were five years ago and 14% never, or almost never, have enough cash to cover all their essentials.

Officers are stressed about how they will pay the bills, according to figures from the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) 2022 Pay and Morale Survey.

77% said they are ‘dissatisfied’ or ‘very dissatisfied’ with their overall remuneration, and half said they were suffering from poor morale following another below-inflation pay rise.

Last year police officers across England and Wales were given an average of a 5% pay rise – but this was way below inflation booming now at more than 10%. Household bills are rising sharply and over the past 12 years police officer pay has fallen in real terms by 25%.

Officers feel disappointed with the Job and let down by the Government, the survey showed. A huge 95% of respondents said that they do not feel respected by the Government and worryingly seven in ten said they would not recommend joining the police to others.

Three quarters (73%) said they would not recommend joining the police to others.

Officers’ wellbeing is faltering, the research showed, with 47% of respondents saying they find their job ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ stressful and 85% experiencing feelings of stress, low mood, anxiety, or other difficulties over the last 12 months. Six in ten said morale was low, with 68% reporting that their work load was too high, or much too high.

Sadly, 12% of respondents reported that they had suffered one or more injuries that required medical attention as a result of work related violence in the last year.

Jamie Thompson, Chair of Cheshire Police Federation, said: “Firstly I’d like to thank all my colleagues who took the time to complete this survey. This was the largest turnout we have had for several years and shows the strength of feeling officers have.

“A significant amount of the results come as no surprise as Police Officers are not exempt from the cost of living crisis so many of us are facing.

“To understand why we are here needs to us to look at our recent journey. Pay has a considerable negative impact on morale but this hasn’t happened overnight. We have faced a decade of cuts and freezes to our pay, pension and a worsening of our conditions. This has made the overall package significantly less than it has been, meaning my colleagues are not appropriately renumerated for the job they are expected to do. This downward turn in morale comes from a constant and sustained attack on policing, whether that’s from policy makers, social media or other commentators.

“With no access to any form of industrial rights, and no ability to negotiate on pay, we are easy prey for those wishing to make cuts to budgets.

“I would urge the Government to reflect on why 95% of respondents feel let down and disrespected by them. We often hear the soundbites from those in Westminster about how they support our brave police officers, yet this is having no effect as words are pointless without action to back it up. If the Government wants to win back the support of officers they need to invest in the people, ensuring officers get a meaningful pay award.

“The relationship between Government and officers is damaged almost beyond repair which is why we need action now. I would also ask if they offer longer term investment for forces, stopping the trend of single year settlements which mean forces cannot plan effectively.

“We will continue to work with the force to address some of the other issues raised around perceptions of workloads and the general morale. Those discussions are already underway and have been very positive with a willingness from all sides to work together and do our part to make officers feel respected.

“The Government must take notice of those who cannot strike, not ignore the deepening crisis that is unfolding across policing in England and Wales. Without taking action and supporting police officers, our most valuable asset in the fight against crime, ultimately the public will suffer. Underpaid and overworked officers cannot offer the service the public ultimately deserve.”