South East Allowance for Police
£3,000/year tier — 5 forces
Federated officers (Constable through Chief Inspector) at these forces receive £3,000/year on top of their basic salary. The allowance is set by the Chief Constable up to this maximum.
£2,000/year tier — 3 forces
Federated officers at these three forces receive the lower SE Allowance tier of £2,000/year.
How the SE Allowance affects net pay
| Force tier | Constable PP1 basic | + SE Allowance | Approx. net uplift vs standard E&W |
|---|---|---|---|
| £3k tier (Essex, Herts, Kent, Surrey, TVP) | £31,164 | £34,164 | + ~£1,837/yr net |
| £2k tier (Beds, Hants, Sussex) | £31,164 | £33,164 | + ~£1,225/yr net |
| Standard E&W (no SE allowance) | £31,164 | £31,164 | — |
Net uplift figures assume PPS 2015 pension (13.44% tier), basic-rate income tax and 8% employee NI. Roughly 61% net retention on the gross uplift.
The South East Allowance (SEA) is a regional pay supplement paid by 8 English Home Counties police forces to recognise the higher cost of living in the south-east of England — particularly housing costs relative to wider England & Wales. It applies only to federated ranks (Constable, Sergeant, Inspector, Chief Inspector). Superintending and chief officer ranks do not receive it.
The allowance is set by each Chief Constable up to a maximum, agreed centrally through the Police Negotiating Board (PNB) framework. The current maxima are £3,000/year at the upper tier and £2,000/year at the lower tier (verified against the Police Federation source as of 2026; see the Warwickshire Federation library page for the underlying document).
It's pensionable — the allowance counts towards pensionable pay for PPS 2015 (CARE) accrual, increasing both your contribution amount and your career-average pension figure. It's also pro-rated by working hours: part-time officers receive a proportionate amount.
An officer cannot claim both the SE Allowance and the London Weighting / London Allowance — the two are mutually exclusive. London-based officers (Met, City of London) receive the larger combined £9,474/year London uplift; SE-force officers receive the £3,000 or £2,000 SE Allowance instead.
BTP officers stationed at London divisions receive a separate BTP London Weighting of £3,150/year — also distinct from the SE Allowance (BTP officers don't get SEA). See the British Transport Police salary page for details.