The cost of paying suspended police officers on full pay has reached a record £60 million annually in the UK, with approximately 750 officers barred from duty over alleged wrongdoing. These officers are costing taxpayers an average of £79,552 each, accumulating to nearly £1.15 million per week.
The total expenditure has increased by £2.9 million since March 2025, despite a slight decrease in the number of suspended officers. Factors contributing to this rise include an increase in employer National Insurance contributions implemented in April of the previous year and a 4.2 percent pay raise awarded to officers in September. Additionally, a greater number of senior officers, who command higher salaries, are now among those suspended.
Currently, there are 38 inspectors and 11 chief inspectors on suspension, an increase from previous figures. The majority of suspended personnel include 574 constables and 115 sergeants, alongside four chief officers holding the rank of assistant chief constable or higher. The number of suspended officers has significantly increased since 2021, when the figure stood at just 124, and rose to 225 in 2022, preceding a period of intensified scrutiny on misconduct within police ranks.
The Metropolitan Police has the highest number of suspended officers at 179, followed by Greater Manchester with 82, West Midlands with 52, Lancashire with 29, and Kent with 28.
Some disciplinary cases and appeals for suspended officers can continue for years, during which they receive their full salaries. In cases where an officer is dismissed for misconduct, they retain the wages earned during suspension and typically their accrued pension rights. A notable case involved a Detective Inspector who was suspended for seven years, receiving approximately £400,000 in wages before being dismissed. The wages alone for suspended officers amounted to £40 million, with an additional £14.1 million paid into the police pension scheme and £5.4 million for employer National Insurance contributions. The overall cost is likely higher, as the reported figure excludes London weighting, overtime, and allowances.
Callum McGoldrick, investigations campaign manager at the TaxPayers' Alliance, expressed concern over the expenditure, stating that taxpayers would be dismayed by the payments to suspended officers and calling for an urgent reform of the system to prevent such waste.
A Home Office spokesperson indicated that the government expects police misconduct cases to be handled swiftly and that officers found to have fallen short should be removed from duty. An independent, end-to-end review of the police accountability system has been launched to ensure public and police confidence.