3/4 of Cumbria Police feel worse financially
10% ‘never’ or ‘almost never’ have enough money to cover all their essentials.
76% of Cumbria Constabulary feel ‘worse off’ financially now than they were five years ago and 10% ‘never’ or ‘almost never’ have enough money to cover all their essentials.
According to the 2024 Police Federation of England and Wales Pay and Morale Report – published today - 86% of respondents have seen living cost increases in the previous month and 56% of officers are dissatisfied with their pay.
Worryingly, 26% of Cumbria Constabulary 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 4.75% pay rise in 2024, officer pay has reduced by a fifth since 2010.
Nationally 76% of officers responding to the PFEW Pay and Morale survey say their pay does not reflect the dangers they face and a third of officers struggle to afford essentials such as food, rent, or heating.
Officers are also struggling with low morale and lack of support, the survey found.
91% of Cumbria Constabulary said they do not feel respected by the Government, and 61% said they were experiencing low morale.
78% of respondents from Cumbria Constabulary said that they would not recommend joining the police to others. 74% said they do not feel valued within the service.
Officers are coming under attack from the public too, the report showed, with 17% having suffered one or more injuries that required medical attention as a result of work-related violence in the last year.
Only 14% of officers who responded reported having access to double crewing at all times whilst on duty.
75% of respondents from Cumbria Constabulary said that over the last 12 months, their workload has been ‘too high’ or ‘much too high’. 7% 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 44% said they feel ‘always’ or ‘often’ feel pressured into working long hours.
Sadly, 83% of respondents from Cumbria Constabulary 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 53% said that they find their job ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ stressful.
The survey is based on 445 responses received from Cumbria Constabulary officers.