UK amends police allowances from Sept. 1, 2025, updating mileage and handler rates

Separate 11 June 2026 determinations revise police allowances from 1 September 2025 and voluntary retirement compensation lump-sum rules from 1 July 2026 under the Police Regulations 2003.

Summary

The UK Secretary of State made two separate determinations on 11 June 2026 under the Police Regulations 2003 after consultation under regulation 46. One, effective from 1 September 2025, replaces Annex U on police allowances, setting an essential-user vehicle lump sum of £1,239 a year, aligning essential and casual user mileage rates with prevailing HMRC business mileage rates, and raising the annual dog handler’s allowance to £2,946, with an extra 50% for each additional police dog kept at home. It also retains provisions covering London and South East England allowances, unsocial hours, overnight reserve and hardship payments, on-call and protection allowances, and time-limited service critical skills and workload payments. A separate determination, effective from 1 July 2026, replaces Annex DA on compensation lump sums for officers taking voluntary retirement, revising eligibility, payout caps, part-time calculations and repayment terms, with payments remaining discretionary and subject to misconduct, performance and public-sector exit-payment restrictions.

Terms & Concepts
  • HMRC business mileage rates: UK tax authority mileage reimbursement benchmarks used for duty-travel payments.
  • essential-user vehicle allowance: Police motor vehicle allowance for officers whom a chief officer considers need a vehicle available for duty purposes.
  • Voluntary Departure Maximum: Upper limit in the Annex DA formula for a police compensation lump sum on voluntary retirement.