Above-inflation pay deal for Police Scotland officers agreed

A two-year pay deal for police officers has been agreed that will see them receive a 4% increase this year and 3.5% next year, the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) has announced.

The above-inflation pay deal includes a commitment that the pay award will remain at least 1% above the average consumer price index (CPI) rate each year, which the SPA said would safeguard earnings against rising living costs.

The deal, which was formally accepted by the “staff side” of the Police Negotiating Board for Scotland (PNBS) on Monday, will also see officers’ on-call allowance rise to £35.40 in 2025 and £43.68 in 2026 – a 20% increase each year.

A range of other allowances, including mileage rates, public holiday compensation and enhanced overnight disruption for international deployment will also rise.

Meanwhile, maternity and adoption pay will increase from 18 weeks’ full pay to 26 weeks’ full pay in April 2026.

SPA chair Fiona McQueen said: “I warmly welcome this multi-year year pay deal for Scotland’s police officers.

“It recognises the valuable role officers play in keeping Scotland safe and secure and offers a degree of financial stability over the next two years.

“I want to thank everyone involved in the PNBS, particularly the staff-side representatives, who showed great commitment to constructive dialogue to reach this pay deal.”

Police Scotland Chief Constable Jo Farrell said: “I want to thank police officers for the hard work and skill they demonstrate every day to deliver for our communities.

“I’m grateful to the staff side of the PNBS, the Scottish Police Federation and everyone involved in reaching this agreement.”

The SPA also confirmed that a pay award for police staff mirroring the offer agreed with officers is currently being put to a consultative ballot of trade unions’ members.

Justice Secretary Angela Constance said said she was “grateful” to all those involved in reaching an agreement on officer pay.

“I am pleased that after a period of constructive discussion and negotiation, the PNBS has reached agreement on police officer pay for 2025-26 and 2026-27,” she said.

She added: “Police officers do a challenging job in often difficult circumstances and this agreement recognises their dedication and commitment to keeping communities safe.”