Do Special Constables Get Paid? UK Allowances, Expenses & Sick Pay (2026/27)
Special Constables (SCs) hold the exact same warranted powers of arrest as regular police officers across England, Wales, Scotland and British Transport Police, but serve on a voluntary, unpaid basis (typically a minimum of 16 hours per month). While there is no salary, statutory regulations protect Specials through tax-free duty expenses, Employer Supported Policing (ESP) paid leave and loss-of-remuneration sick pay if injured on duty.
What Special Constables receive: allowances, expenses & protections
| Allowance / entitlement | 2026/27 rate / cap | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Basic salary / hourly wage | £0 (unpaid volunteer office) | Special Constables hold the full warranted powers of a Constable across England & Wales (or Scotland), typically committing at least 16 hours/month (192 hrs/yr) unpaid. |
| Duty mileage & travel expenses | 45p per mile (tax-free) / 100% public transport | Reimbursement of travel between home and your police station (plus duty travel) under Special Constables Regulations 1965, paid free of income tax and NI within HMRC Approved Mileage Allowance Payment (AMAP) limits. |
| Subsistence / refreshment allowance | Force scale (typically £4.50 – £20+ per tour) | Reimbursed where you are retained on duty beyond normal tour lengths or deployed away from your normal station and incur meal costs. |
| Boot / footwear allowance | £40 – £100 (where not issued) | Forces either issue operational patrol boots directly through stores or reimburse a tax-free footwear allowance upon completing initial training. |
| Loss of remuneration (injury on duty / sick pay) | Capped at regular Constable pay (£32,256 – £52,014/yr) | Under the Special Constables Regulations 1965 (and Scottish equivalents), if an injury or illness received in the execution of duty causes you to lose actual pay from your civilian employment, you can claim reimbursement up to the regular PC pay rate for your length of service. |
| Employer Supported Policing (ESP) paid time off | 5 to 18 paid days/year from civilian employer | Hundreds of UK public and private employers (Civil Service, NHS, banks, rail operators, utilities) grant paid special leave days each year to staff who serve as Special Constables. |
Looking for a paid policing role? Regular PC vs PCSO vs Special Constable
Many applicants confuse Special Constables (warranted, unpaid volunteers) with Police Community Support Officers — PCSOs (full-time or part-time paid civilian uniformed staff):
Full warranted Constable powers + handcuffs, baton & PAVA/Taser (where trained). Minimum ~16 hrs/month alongside your normal career.
Salaried neighbourhood policing role with shift allowance (12.5%–20%) and Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
Full-time warranted officer starting on £1,952/mo net (E&W) or £34,001/yr in Police Scotland.
Special Constables — frequently asked questions
Do Special Constables get paid in the UK?
No. Special Constables in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland (Part-Time Reserve / historical schemes differ) and British Transport Police are warranted volunteer officers and do not receive an hourly wage or annual salary. Instead, they are reimbursed out-of-pocket expenses (travel, mileage, subsistence and uniform/boot allowances) so that volunteering costs them nothing financially.
What happens if a Special Constable is injured on duty and cannot work their day job?
Under the Special Constables Regulations 1965 (Regulation 5, Sick Pay) and the Police (Injury Benefit) Regulations, if a Special Constable is incapacitated for duty by an injury or disease received without their own default in the execution of duty, and suffers an actual loss of remuneration in their private employment or self-employment, the police authority pays Special Constable sick pay equal to the actual loss of earnings (less any statutory sick pay/benefits), capped at the rate of pay of a regular Police Constable of equivalent service (£32,256 to £52,014 in England & Wales, or from £34,001 in Scotland).
Can Special Constables join the Police Federation?
Yes. Since the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 came into force in June 2022, Special Constables in England and Wales have the full statutory right to join the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW), giving them access to Federation legal representation, misconduct defence and welfare support.
Do Special Constables get free travel in London or a Blue Light Card?
Yes. Special Constables with a valid warrant card or force ID are eligible for the Blue Light Card discount scheme. In London, Metropolitan Police, City of London Police and BTP Special Constables who meet their minimum monthly operational hours qualify for London duty travel concessions (such as the Met Oyster / zip Oyster concessionary scheme within TfL zones, subject to current force terms).
If a Special Constable joins the regular police, do they start on a higher salary?
Joining as a regular Police Constable normally starts on Constable Pay Point 1 (£32,256 in England & Wales, or £34,001 in Police Scotland). However, Chief Constables have discretion under Police Regulations 2003 Annex F to recognise prior relevant policing experience (such as substantive Independent Patrol Status as a Special Constable or former PCSO service) by starting a recruit at Pay Point 2 in participating forces — always check your target force's current recruitment policy.
Sources: Special Constables Regulations 1965 (SI 1965/536, as amended); Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022; Police Special Constables (Scotland) Regulations 2008.