South Yorkshire Police never, or almost never, have the money to cover the cost of living essentials, report finds

According to the 2023 Police Federation of England and Wales Pay and Morale Report – published today - 93 per cent of respondents have seen living cost increases in the previous month and 79 per cent of officers are dissatisfied with their pay.

Worryingly, 12 per cent of South Yorkshire Police officers who responded to the survey said they intend to resign from the police service either ‘within the next two years’ or ‘as soon as [they] can’.

Whilst Police Officers received a seven per cent pay rise in 2023, they have still seen an incredible 16 per cent real-terms pay cut over the past 12 years.

Police chiefs have pointed out that the high cost of living in the UK is placing an even bigger strain on officers, as well as hampering recruitment. They have asked the Government for officers to receive a six per cent pay rise in 2024.

Officers are also struggling with low morale and lack of support, the survey found. 93% of officers said they do not feel respected by the Government, and 52 per cent said they were experiencing low morale.

65 per cent of respondents from SYPe said that they wouldn’t recommend joining the police to others. 73 per cent said they do not feel valued within the service.

Dave Baines, South Yorkshire Police Federation secretary, said: “These are shocking and saddening statistics in equal measure and we must remember the police officers who are behind them who are suffering.

“These are real people… mothers and fathers, sons and daughters. Not robots. Many of them are finding there is too much month for the money and they are worried about putting food on the table or paying the bills.

“That can’t be right – for hard working police officers to be out there hungry, poor and with low morale.”

Dave added: “The Government can at least attempt to fix this by properly paying police officers who are out there every day catching criminals, keeping people safe and showing outstanding bravery.

“The actions of the 99.99% of officers who put their lives on the line every day and work unbelievably long hours need to be acknowledged. We need fair pay for policing.”

Officers are coming under attack from the public too, with 14 per cent having suffered one or more injuries requiring medical attention as a result of work-related violence last year.

62 per cent of respondents from South Yorkshire Police said that over the last 12 months, their workload has been ‘too high’ or ‘much too high’.

Four per cent of officers said that they have ‘never’ or ‘rarely’ been able to take an 11-hour break between shifts in the last 12 months and 33 per cent said they feel ‘always’ or ‘often’ feel pressured into working long hours.

Sadly, 80 per cent of respondents from South Yorkshire Police indicated that they had experienced feelings of stress, low mood, anxiety, or other difficulties with their health and wellbeing over the last 12 months, and 41 per cent said that they find their job ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ stressful.

The survey is based on 409 responses received from South Yorkshire Police officers.