Metropolitan Police officers are to have their London allowance increased by more than £3,000 per year.
The move follows mounting concern that the cost of buying a home in London is further exacerbating the Met’s existing recruitment crisis.
The rise will push up the allowance – which has not been updated since 1981 – from £1,011 to £4,338.
In addition, officers will continue to receive the London weighting, which currently stands at £1,662, taking their total payments for working in the capital to £6,000. But the increase in the London allowance will only apply to officers recruited after September 1994.
Earlier this year, the Police Federation called for a review of the London payment to tackle the recruitment problem. Vice-chairman Dave Rodgers said the force was losing more staff than it was taking on because potential new recruits could not afford to buy a house in London.
