Cost of living crisis: PSNI officers struggling to pay bills, says Federation

By Mark Rainey
Published 30th Mar 2022, 00:02 BST
Updated 30th Mar 2022, 10:29 BST
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Hundreds of police officers in Northern Ireland are struggling to pay bills and facing a cost-of-living crisis, according to the officers’ representative body.

The Police Federation NI reports that as many as one in 10 – almost 700 PSNI officers – say they never, or almost never, have enough money to cover all of their essential purchases each month.

PFNI chairman Mark Lindsay (pictured) described the survey findings as “grim reading,” and has called on both the PSNI and the Department of Justice to “sit up and take notice”.

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Mr Lindsay said: “Hundreds of colleagues are facing a cost-of-living cliff edge and its frightening for them and their families.

One in 10 – almost 700 PSNI officers – say they never, or almost never, have enough money to cover all of their essential purchases each month.One in 10 – almost 700 PSNI officers – say they never, or almost never, have enough money to cover all of their essential purchases each month.
One in 10 – almost 700 PSNI officers – say they never, or almost never, have enough money to cover all of their essential purchases each month.

“There’s a perception in the wider community that police are well paid but this gives the lie to that mistaken view.

“For over a decade now, police pay has been eroded, which means the government doesn’t properly value what we do on behalf of the entire community. This needs to change and change quickly.”

The comprehensive PFNI workforce survey attracted 2,368 responses – more than a third of federated ranks from constable to chief inspector.

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Of the respondents, almost three-quarters stated that their pay is not enough to maintain their standard of living, with six in 10 expressing dissatisfaction with their overall remuneration.

PFNI chairman Mark LindsayPFNI chairman Mark Lindsay
PFNI chairman Mark Lindsay

Mr Lindsay added: “There is much in this survey to digest. It has been a torrid few years for policing. The fact that so many face a cost-of-living cliff edge should be a wake-up call for the Northern Ireland Executive.

“I have already had productive discussions with senior PSNI in respect of many of the issues raised in the survey and hopefully we will start to see some outworkings which will rectify many of the issues highlighted.”

In addition to financial concerns, the survey results also show that around half of the respondents believe the media coverage of policing during the Covid pandemic “had a negative effect on their ability to perform their day-to-day policing role,” and that 56% reported that their own perception of the PSNI as being an impartial police service had been negatively affected.

Another key finding was that 48% said the PSNI did not encourage officers to talk openly about mental health and wellbeing.