Police Acting Up Pay
Typical Acting Up Uplift by Rank (entry-to-entry differences)
| Acting Up From → To | Annual uplift | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PC top → Sergeant entry | ~£3,312 | £53,568 - £50,256 |
| Sergeant top → Inspector entry | ~£7,560 | £63,768 - £56,208 |
| Inspector top → Chief Inspector entry | ~£1,362 | £70,344 - £68,982 |
| Chief Inspector top → Superintendent entry | ~£9,867 | £84,177 - £74,310 |
| Superintendent top → Chief Supt entry | ~£4,782 | £103,797 - £99,015 |
Acting Up Pay (or "Temporary Promotion Pay") applies when an officer is required to perform the role of a higher rank for a continuous period. Under Police Regulations, an officer acting in a higher rank for 10 consecutive working days or more is entitled to pay at the higher rank for the period.
The pay is calculated as the difference between your substantive (current) rank pay point and the equivalent or next pay point at the higher rank. It's typically paid as a separate line on payslips during the acting-up period, then ceases when the temporary arrangement ends.
Acting Up Pay is pensionable for the period it's paid. So during a 6-month acting-up arrangement, your pensionable pay reflects the higher rank's basic for those 6 months.
The uplift varies enormously by which rank step is involved — from around £1,400/year (Inspector → Chief Inspector entry) to nearly £10,000/year (Chief Inspector → Superintendent entry, which is the largest step up the scale).
The calculator doesn't model Acting Up directly — enter the additional annual amount you'd earn in the "Other allowances" input to see how it affects your take-home and tax position.