Lothian and Borders Police

A recent Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act request for information has detailed the vast amount of public cash being spent by Lothian and Borders Police on subsidising Police officers housing costs.  Officers from Constables right up to the Chief Constable himself are cashing in on this perk of the job.

Figures obtained from LBP show that over the past four years a total of £20, 250, 808.41 has been claimed in rent & housing allowances.

Chief Constable David Strang has himself pocketed £32,368.58 in housing allowances since his appointment to the post in March 2007.  Mr Strang is paid a salary in the region of £140,000 per annum.

In the financial year 2009/10 LBP paid out more than four million pounds to officers, with 1615 annual payouts being made to officers.

Rent allowances were paid to Police officers regardless of rank but the scheme was stopped in 1990, new officers then became eligable to claim a new housing allowance which was iteself ditched in 1994 by the Conservative Government under John Major.  New officers are not offered the allowances but existing ones get to keep the perk.  Therefore it is worth noting that the cost of payouts is decreasing as the number of officers entitled to the perks decline.  Becuase the allowances are taxable claimants can in some circumstances claim a compensatory allowance to cover the cost of the tax liability.

Given the pressure on the pubic purse it is possibly now time for Police allowances and bonus to be reconsidered and renegotiated nationally similar to what has happened at many Councils across the country.