College of Policing staff receive pay award
Staff at the College of Policing have now received confirmation that their 2025 pay award will be implemented on 31 March 2026, eight months later than originally scheduled, following intervention by Prospect.
The award, which was due to be paid on 31 July 2025, provides a minimum 3.25% increase for all employees. The significant delay caused financial strain for many staff and raised wider concerns about the reliability of pay processes at the organisation.
On 19 January 2026, the branch wrote to the Home Office Permanent Secretary setting out the seriousness of the delay. The letter highlighted:
- the pay award was already six months overdue and at real risk of missing the tax year entirely
- a repeat pattern of late payments, including the 2024 award being paid at the last moment in March 2025
- a 20‑point drop in staff satisfaction, directly linked to financial uncertainty and delayed awards
The branch called for:
- a reliable timetable for the 2026 award,
- structural changes to prevent the College being pushed to the back of the queue, and
- interest on backdated pay to reflect the real financial impact on staff.
This escalation was decisive in breaking the stalemate.
Prospect will continue to press for improvements to ensure that future pay awards are delivered on time and that members are not placed in this position again.
