Kent Police · 1 September 2026 Scales · +£2,750 South East Allowance
Kent Police salary 2026/27: pay scales, £2,750 South East Allowance & take-home pay
Kent Police employs around 4,223 warranted FTE officers across East, North and West Kent. From 1 September 2026 (including the 3.5% PRRB pay award and Kent's revised £2,750/year South East Allowance), a Kent Police constable starts on £35,006 combined gross (£2,117/month net) and rises to £54,764 at Pay Point 7 (£3,120/month net).
Sep 2026 scales (3.5% award applied; official PFEW tables pending) · Tax year 2026/27
Your details
When did you join?
Sep 2026 scales (3.5% award applied; official PFEW tables pending).
Some forces start new constables at PP2. Check your offer letter.
Set by each force, up to £3,105, and reviewed annually. Kent cut its allowance from £3,000 to £2,750 on 1 September 2026.
Contribution rates updated 1 April 2026 (Home Office consultation response)
Student loan
Many officers claim tax relief on Fed subscriptions and uniform upkeep via HMRC, changing their code to 1300L or similar. Check your payslip.
Pay periods
Working hours
Police officers are full-time on a 40-hourweek, so both default to 40. Working full time? Leave them equal. Part-time? Lower “your hours” (and set the full-time week to your force's standard if it isn't 40).
Salary sacrifice (pre-tax)
Other deductions (post-tax)
Salary sacrifice deductions reduce your taxable pay and therefore your income tax and NI. Other deductions are taken after tax.
Monthly take-home
£2,132
Annual take-home
£25,580
Weekly take-home
£492
Annual breakdown
Effective rate (tax + NI): 15.7% of gross pay · Employer also contributes ~35% pension (£12,445/yr on your behalf) · See what your pension will actually pay →
Tax code 1257L · Sep 2026 scales (3.5% award applied; official PFEW tables pending).
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Overtime
Basic hourly rate (excl. allowances)
£15.51/hr
£20.68 /hr overtime (×1.33)
Estimated overtime pay
Overtime is non-pensionable. Tax shown is an estimate based on your marginal rate — actual deduction depends on your total earnings that month.
Unsocial hours (8pm–6am)
Enhancement rate
£1.55/hr
+10% of £15.51/hr basic rate
Monthly impact
Non-pensionable. Based on your average weekly unsocial hours × 52 ÷ 12.
Working lots of shifts this month?
Add them all up and project your real monthly take-home in the Shift Planner — Pro, £20 / year.
Kent Police South East Allowance in 2026/27: why it is £2,750 (not £3,000 or £3,105)
Every federated officer in Kent Police (Constable to Chief Inspector) receives the £2,750/year South East Allowance (£229.17/month gross) on top of national England & Wales basic pay. When comparing Kent Police pay tables online, watch out for two common points of confusion:
1. 1 September 2026 adjustment (£3,000 → £2,750)
During 2025/26, Kent Police paid £3,000/year via a temporary recruitment top-up. In March 2026, force leadership confirmed the allowance would move to £2,750/year from 1 September 2026(-£20.83/month gross). Other calculator sites still quoting £3,105 (£35,360 starting pay) wrongly apply the PRRB statutory maximum cap rather than Kent's actual force rate.
2. Non-pensionable tax & NI treatment (Annex U)
Under Police Regulations 2003 Annex U, the £2,750 South East Allowance is non-pensionable. You pay Income Tax and National Insurance on it, but your 13.88% PPS 2015 pension deduction is only charged on basic pay — adding roughly £154/month net for a basic-rate payer.
Kent Police salary by rank (2026/27 — including £2,750 SE Allowance)
Compare all 43 England & Wales forces →Combined gross pay below includes national basic pay (effective 1 September 2026, +3.5%) plus the £2,750 South East Allowance for federated and superintending ranks. For Chief Officers, Kent Police sits in Annex F Band 3 (Force Weighting 5.5–7.5):
| Kent Police Rank | Combined Gross (+£2,750) | Take-home / month (PPS 2015) |
|---|---|---|
| Constable (PC / DC) | £35,006 – £54,764 | £2,117 – £3,120 |
| Sergeant (PS / DS) | £58,193 – £60,926 | £3,308 – £3,421 |
| Inspector (Insp / DI) | £68,750 – £74,147 | £3,745 – £3,968 |
| Chief Inspector | £75,557 – £78,458 | £4,026 – £4,147 |
| Superintendent | £89,873 – £105,230 | £4,604 – £5,237 |
| Chief Superintendent | £110,180 – £122,588 | £5,441 – £5,860 |
| Assistant Chief Constable (ACC) | £131,916 – £148,926 | 3-point national scale |
| Deputy Chief Constable (DCC — Band 3) | £174,189 | Annex F Band 3 spot rate |
| Chief Constable (CC — Band 3) | £211,140 | Annex F Band 3 (±10% Kent PCC) |
Kent Police pay points by rank (Constable to Chief Inspector, 2026/27)
Kent Police Constable (PC / DC) pay scale (1 September 2026)
National Constable (PC / DC) guide →| Pay Point | Basic Pay (Pensionable) | Kent Combined Gross (+£2,750) | Take-home / month |
|---|---|---|---|
| PP1 | £32,256 | £35,006 | £2,117 |
| PP2 | £33,609 | £36,359 | £2,186 |
| PP3 | £34,971 | £37,721 | £2,256 |
| PP4 | £36,336 | £39,086 | £2,326 |
| PP5 | £39,057 | £41,807 | £2,440 |
| PP6 | £44,544 | £47,294 | £2,719 |
| PP7 | £52,014 | £54,764 | £3,120 |
Kent Police Sergeant (PS / DS) pay scale (1 September 2026)
National Sergeant (PS / DS) guide →| Pay Point | Basic Pay (Pensionable) | Kent Combined Gross (+£2,750) | Take-home / month |
|---|---|---|---|
| PP2 | £55,443 | £58,193 | £3,308 |
| PP3 | £56,574 | £59,324 | £3,354 |
| PP4 | £58,176 | £60,926 | £3,421 |
Kent Police Inspector (Insp / DI) pay scale (1 September 2026)
National Inspector (Insp / DI) guide →| Pay Point | Basic Pay (Pensionable) | Kent Combined Gross (+£2,750) | Take-home / month |
|---|---|---|---|
| PP0 | £66,000 | £68,750 | £3,745 |
| PP1 | £67,797 | £70,547 | £3,819 |
| PP2 | £69,588 | £72,338 | £3,893 |
| PP3 | £71,397 | £74,147 | £3,968 |
Kent Police Chief Inspector pay scale (1 September 2026)
National Chief Inspector guide →| Pay Point | Basic Pay (Pensionable) | Kent Combined Gross (+£2,750) | Take-home / month |
|---|---|---|---|
| PP1 | £72,807 | £75,557 | £4,026 |
| PP2 | £74,226 | £76,976 | £4,085 |
| PP3 | £75,708 | £78,458 | £4,147 |
Kent Police Entry Routes (PCEP, PCDA, DHEP & Transferee)
New recruits train at Kent Police College (Coverdale Avenue, Maidstone) and start on Constable Pay Point 1 (£32,256 basic + £2,750 SE Allowance = £35,006 gross / £2,117/mo net) across all four entry pathways:
- Police Constable Entry Programme (PCEP): Two-year non-degree probation route combining classroom training at Maidstone with tutored divisional response patrols.
- Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA): Three-year BSc (Hons) Professional Policing Practice route (delivered in partnership with Anglia Ruskin University) with zero tuition fees.
- Degree Holder Entry Programme (DHEP & Detective DHEP): Two-year graduate conversion route (including Kent's direct-to-CID Investigate Firstdetective pathway leading to NIE & PIP2 accreditation).
- Transferees & Rejoiners: Serving officers transferring from another Home Office force retain their current pay point and immediately gain the +£2,750/yr Kent South East Allowance.
Kent PCSO Salary, Overtime & Unsocial Hours
- Kent PCSO Pay (Grade D / KR6–KR7): Kent Police Community Support Officers earn between £30,879 and £37,056 a year (inclusive of shift disturbance and weekend working allowances), with PCSO Supervisors on Grade E. Compare take-home in our PCSO salary calculator and police staff pay scales.
- Hourly Rate & Overtime (Constable & Sergeant): Calculated on basic pensionable pay (excluding the £2,750 SE Allowance): £15.51/hr at PC PP1 rising to £25.01/hr at PC PP7. Casual overtime pays ×1.33 (£33.34/hr at PP7), rest-day working with under 15 days' notice pays ×1.50 (£37.51/hr), and public holidays pay ×2.00 (£50.01/hr). See our police overtime calculator.
- 10% Unsocial Hours & On-Call: Hours worked between 8pm and 6am attract the 10% Unsocial Hours Allowance (worth £1.55–£2.50/hr for a PC), plus the £35 On-Call Allowance per rostered on-call period.
Kent Police Pension Administrator, Federation & Welfare
- Officer Pension Administrator (PPS 2015): XPS Administration (PO Box 562, Middlesbrough TS1 9JA · portal: myownpension.co.uk) administers the 1987, 2006 and 2015 police pension schemes and McCloud Remediable Service Statements for Kent Police. See who runs my police pension.
- Police Staff & PCSO Pension (LGPS): Kent Pension Fund (administered by Kent County Council, Maidstone), part of the Local Government Pension Scheme.
- Kent Police Federation & Tax Relief: Based at 749A Loose Road, Maidstone (ME15 9UX), running the Kent Police Group Insurance Scheme. Remember to claim HMRC P87 tax relief on your Federation subscriptions and £140 uniform allowance.
- Flint House & Benevolent Fund: Kent officers fall within the Southern constituency for Flint House Police Rehabilitation Centre (Goring-on-Thames, Oxfordshire) and the South East Police Benevolent Fund.
Kent's 3 Territorial Divisions, HQ & Joint Essex Collaboration
Headquartered at Sutton Road, Maidstone (ME15 9BZ) under Chief Constable Tim Smith and Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott, Kent Police (~4,223 FTE officers) is structured into three geographical divisions:
- East Division: Canterbury, Dover, Folkestone & Hythe, Ashford, and Thanet (Margate, Ramsgate & Broadstairs)
- North Division: Medway (Chatham, Gillingham & Rochester), North Kent (Gravesham & Dartford), and Swale (Sittingbourne & Sheppey)
- West Division: Maidstone, Tonbridge & Malling, Tunbridge Wells, and Sevenoaks
Kent Police operates a major bilateral collaboration with Essex Police covering the Joint Kent & Essex Serious Crime Directorate (SCD), alongside Kent Tactical Operations policing the M20 corridor, Port of Dover and Channel Tunnel (Eurotunnel) frontier.
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Related Kent Police & South East pay guides
Revising for promotion in Kent Police (PS £58,193–£60,926 / Insp £68,750–£74,147 / CI £75,557–£78,458)? Try Join The Cops NPPF Sergeants' Exam prep →
Kent Police salary — frequently asked questions
How much does a Kent Police officer earn in 2026/27?
From 1 September 2026, a Kent Police constable starts on £35,006 a year (£32,256 national basic pay plus the £2,750 Kent South East Allowance), which works out at £2,117/month net after PPS 2015 pension (12.88%–13.88%), income tax and National Insurance. At Pay Point 7 (after six years' service), a Kent Police constable earns £54,764 combined gross (£3,120/month net).
Why is the Kent Police South East Allowance £2,750 instead of £3,000 or £3,105 in 2026/27?
Although the Home Office raised the statutory South East Allowance cap by 3.5% to £3,105 on 1 September 2026, each Chief Constable sets their force's actual rate. During 2025/26, Kent Police paid £3,000/year via a temporary recruitment and retention top-up. In March 2026, Kent Police announced that the allowance would revert by £250 to £2,750/year (£229.17/month gross) from 1 September 2026 due to force budget pressures — a decision formally disputed by Kent Police Federation. Third-party sites that quote £3,105 (£35,360 starting pay) for Kent Police are confusing the statutory ceiling with Kent's actual rate.
Is the £2,750 Kent South East Allowance pensionable?
No. Under Police Regulations 2003 Annex U, the South East Allowance is a non-pensionable location allowance. Your PPS 2015 pension contribution (12.88% on basic pay up to £27,000, 13.88% up to £60,000, or 14.22% above £60,000) is calculated solely on your basic pay (£32,256 to £52,014 for a Constable), while the £2,750 allowance is subject to income tax and National Insurance only.
How much does a Kent Police PCSO earn in 2026/27?
Kent Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) sit at Grade D (KR6/KR7 equivalent on the Kent Police local staff pay scale) and earn between £30,879 and £37,056 a year once shift disturbance and weekend working allowances are included. PCSO Supervisors sit at Grade E.
Who administers the Kent Police pension scheme?
Warranted police officers in Kent Police belong to the Police Pension Scheme 2015 (CARE), administered by XPS Administration (PO Box 562, Middlesbrough, online via myownpension.co.uk). Civilian police staff and PCSOs belong to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), administered by the Kent Pension Fund (Kent County Council, Maidstone).
How much does the Chief Constable of Kent Police earn?
Under Home Office Determination Annex F, Kent Police sits in Force Weighting Band 3 (medium-large forces, weighting 5.5–7.5). On the 1 September 2026 scales (+3.5%), the Band 3 statutory spot salary is £211,140 for the Chief Constable and £174,189 for the Deputy Chief Constable, subject to ±10% variation set by the Kent Police and Crime Commissioner.