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Sussex Police spend millions on outdated payments

3:30pm Tuesday 9th March 2010 in


Police are spending millions of pounds on outdated payments to officers.

Until 1994 every officer in the UK was entitled to free police housing or could have their rent paid for them.

Although it is more than 15 years since the housing allowance scheme was scrapped, Sussex Police are paying the benefits to more than 1,000 officers who joined before that time.

Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act show that in 2007/8 Sussex Police paid £3,401,921 to 1,308 officers.

In 2008/9, £3,076,053 was paid to 1,187 officers.

Between April 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009, 1,068 officers received payments totalling £2,118,503.

Sussex Police said the cost of the extra payments has been decreasing as officers entitled to the payments retired or left the force

Comments(10)

emma barnes says...
8:34pm Tue 9 Mar 10

Is this really news? The allowance was cancelled for new recruits joining after 1994. Officers who were in post prior to this date (nationally) had the allowance ring fenced by the government.

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Norma Snockers says...
8:48pm Tue 9 Mar 10

In my day (1960s) we got Boot Allowance, because we actually walked the beat. Long gone I suppose along with proper policing! Nearly an hour to get to a burglary in Barcombe? Disgusting. Back in the 60s the Barcombe rural beat man would probably have nabbed the ungodly before the landlord of the pub had time to load his shotgun!They would be in court the next morning, prosecuted by the local police sergeant or inspector, and starting a good stiff jail sentence by tea-time. How times have changed for the worse!

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ambassador says...
10:05pm Tue 9 Mar 10

Why do the Argus waste their time and the pubic's money (FoIA application) to publish this information?

Any person who is moderately well informed knows this. Police pay and conditions are not a secret.

Police used to get many such benefits which were removed. Since then other benefits have been removed and although the pay is acceptable there is little else to commend the role of constable.

That is, unless you like being abused by the public and attacked by the Argus.

After all, 'law-abiding-citizen
s' don't want to be told when they break the law, now do they?

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emma barnes says...
11:19pm Tue 9 Mar 10

And nurses get Inner and outer London weighting allowance.

And Fire fighters get the Spoilt meals and Refreshments allowance.

And teachers get the TLR allowance.....etc etc....shall we go on.

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Tye says...
8:23am Wed 10 Mar 10

Is emily wibble?

One asks the question as emily always seem to have an "agenda" against the Police which is a bit of a hindrance when she's the crime reporter :(

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Original Nutter says...
9:29am Wed 10 Mar 10

And the police are meant to be cutting services to save money. I think they should start by cutting paying their staff's rent. That is a terrible waste of public money. I am aware this is an old incentive but it should have just been scrapped. Who cares what the teachers, nurses and firefighters get, stop your moaning Emma Barnes, and do some work

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shrek's uglier brother says...
9:37am Wed 10 Mar 10

Too right,emma barnes. Trouble is that the easy targets are the easiest to hit when you're a journo hunting for a story (what did journalists do before the Freedom of Information Act?) Now if you really want to see some "allowances" take a look at all the not-so-little things that the Fire Service get. But, of course, they are not such an easy target....

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emma barnes says...
9:40am Wed 10 Mar 10

Original Nutter wrote:
And the police are meant to be cutting services to save money. I think they should start by cutting paying their staff's rent. That is a terrible waste of public money. I am aware this is an old incentive but it should have just been scrapped. Who cares what the teachers, nurses and firefighters get, stop your moaning Emma Barnes, and do some work
Im writing this in my work time...haha

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Original Nutter says...
9:50am Wed 10 Mar 10

Surely you mean you are writing this whilst drinking coffee and eating your usual 15 dounuts per morning. Worse than thieves those **** police

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common sense brighton says...
8:34pm Wed 10 Mar 10

The conditions and erasing out of the housing allowance was agreed in 1994,so this is a very out of date story,found at the bottom of a drawer for use on a slack days of news reporting.
I agree the Police force ( especially Sussex) is an easy target and for the Argus and its chief reporter to continue to knock and show an biased view is outrageous.

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