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West Midlands Police Federation

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Allowances

Expenses

Refreshments, Subsistence & Lodging

These allowances were discontinued from 1 April 2003. Instead, officers will be reimbursed expenditure incurred in the course of duty provided it is:

  • Necessary
  • Reasonable
  • Additional to what the officer would otherwise have incurred
  • Backed by a receipt

ANNEX V DETERMINATION FOR REGULATION 35

EXPENSES

Food and Accommodation Expenses

When a member of a police force is retained on duty beyond his normal daily period of duty, he shall be reimbursed the cost of any meal he then necessarily obtains provided that expenditure is reasonable and backed by a receipt.

An officer has to be retained on duty in excess of 2 hours past his normal finish time to claim this allowance. 

Incidental Expenses Allowance for those Attending Residential Training Courses

At the Police Negotiating Board meeting on 9 February 2005, it was agreed that the incidental expenses allowance for those attending residential training courses should be frozen at its current level of £4.43 per night. The maximum allowance is £17.77 per week, except where an officer has to attend for a week’s course of training on the preceding Sunday night and will therefore be in attendance for five nights.

Away from home overnight allowance

A member of the federated ranks is paid an allowance of £50 in respect of every night on which s/he is held in reserve.

With effect from 1 March 2015, a member is held in reserve if s/he is serving away from his/her normal place of duty and is required to stay in a particular, specified place rather than being allowed to return home by reason of the need to be ready for immediate deployment. 

A member is not held in reserve if s/he is serving away from his/her normal place of duty because s/he is on a training course or carrying out routine enquiries. For these purposes “routine enquiries” means activity which forms part of the member’s role or normal duties where due to the nature of that role or duty, or due to the distance from the home station, the member is unable to return home. It is for the chief officer to determine a member’s role or normal duties, including whether there is an expectation within that role or those duties that the member is to travel or to work away from home.

Where a member is held in reserve and is required to travel, other than during his/her normal daily period of duty or rostered shift, travelling to and from home is treated as duty time.

The payment of this allowance has been problematic since it was first introduced.  The definition of ‘held in reserve’ was amended in 2015 to provide greater clarity to forces and members as to the precise circumstances when the allowance is payable.  Unfortunately, this has not proved to be the case and the PFEW has asked the Police Consultative Forum to look again at this issue, including the definition of held in reserve. We maintain open dialogue with the NPCC through the Police Consultative Forum to try to address this.

Hardship allowance

Since 2012, a member of a police force is paid an allowance of £30 for every night when he or she is held in reserve, within the meaning of the Away from Home Overnight Allowance (see above), and is not provided with proper accommodation. Proper accommodation is defined as a room for the sole occupation of the member, with an en-suite bathroom.

On call allowance

Since 2012, a member of the federated ranks receives an allowance of £20 in respect of each day on which s/he spends any time on-call. A ‘day’ means a period of 24 hours starting at a time determined by the chief officer after consultation with the Branch Board. A chief officer may fix different times in relation to different groups of members.

On call is a voluntary activity.

See also:

Refreshments, Subsistence & Lodging

Motor Vehicle

Dog Handlers

Special Priority Payments

Bonus Payment

Temporary Promotion and Acting Up Allowance