Acting Up &
Temporary Pay
Comprehensive guidance on temporary promotion, acting rank pay, and Police Regulation 2003 entitlements.
Trust Notice: Independent explanatory guidance. Not regulated financial or career advice. All data based on Police Regulations 2003.
Regulation
Entitlement
When a police officer temporarily performs the duties of a higher rank, they may be entitled to temporary promotion pay under Police Regulations 2003. Entitlement depends on duration, formal designation, and whether the higher duties are substantive or incidental.
Quick Answer
"Acting up pay is usually triggered after 46 cumulative days in a rank during a financial year. Formal temporary promotion pay starts from day one. In both cases, pay is typically matched to the starting salary of the higher rank."
What Is
"Acting Up"?
Acting up is the operational reality of covering a higher rank without being substantively promoted. There are two distinct legal states:
Acting Rank
Temporary cover. You carry the responsibilities but remain at your substantive rank for pay purposes until a qualifying period is met.
Temporary Promotion
A formal HR designation. You are treated as the higher rank for almost all purposes (including pay) from the moment the designation begins.
The difference is often administrative. A supervisor asking you to “sit in the seat” for a shift is informal cover. A formal order assigning you to the rank for a period of absence is what triggers pay entitlement.
When Are You
Entitled to Pay?
Entitlement is strictly governed by Regulation 27 of the Police Regulations 2003. The primary variables are formal designation and duration.
The 46-Day Rule:
For acting rank (not temporary promotion), the national standard requires you to complete 46 cumulative days in a higher rank within a financial year before pay is triggered. Once triggered, you are paid the higher rate for the 47th day onwards.
Note: Many forces have local variations or formalised temporary promotion paths that trigger pay earlier. Always verify your specific force policy against the national regulation.
How Pay Is
Calculated
The simple rule: You are paid the difference between your current annual salary and the minimum salary step of the rank you are acting in.
PC to Sergeant
Constable top rate (£48k) to Sgt bottom rate (£51k). Difference is approx £3k/year, or £8.20 per day.
Sgt to Inspector
Sergeant top rate (£56k) to Inspector bottom rate (£58k). Difference is approx £2k/year, or £5.40 per day.
Does Acting Up
Affect Your Pension?
Yes. Under the 2015 CARE scheme, your pension is based on your pensionable earnings. Temporary pay uplifts are pensionable.
Because you accrue 1/55.3th of your pay each year into your pension pot, every extra pound earned through acting up increases that year's accrual.
While acting up for a week is a negligible long-term gain, acting for a year can add permanently to your retirement pot proportionally to the salary uplift.
Overtime While
Acting Up
One of the most complex areas of temporary pay is overtime. The rules change depending on which rank you are acting in (Federated vs Inspecting).
Acting Sergeant
You are still a 'Federated' rank. Overtime is paid at the enhanced rate of the rank you are currently being paid in (the Sergeant rate).
Acting Inspector
Inspectors are not usually eligible for overtime pay. If you act as an Inspector, you may lose your right to overtime payment for that period.
Tax & NI
Implications
Temporary pay increases can push you into higher tax brackets, specifically the 40% band (at approx £50k gross).
If acting up results in a £100/mo gross increase, and you cross the 40% threshold, the net take-home might only be £40-50 after Tax, NI, and Pension. To many, the 'risk/reward' ratio feels unbalanced.
Common Errors
& Myths
Myth 1: "If I do the job, I get the pay."
Incorrect. Regulations require a minimum cumulative period for acting rank. Informal 'filling in' is a voluntary performance of duties unless formally designated.
Myth 2: "Acting up counts for pension forever."
Only the extra accrual from that specific period remains. It does not permanently baseline your pension at the higher rank.
When Acting Up
Is Not Worth It
Officers often decline acting roles when the financial incentive is outweighed by the liability.
Acting Up &
Career Strategy
Despite the financial and emotional load, acting experience is highly valued at board level. It provides the essential 'Strategic Shift' evidence required by the NPPF.
Acting provides live evidence of decision making, risk management, and leadership. This often offsets the short-term pay frustrations.
Common
Questions
Do police officers get paid for acting up?
Yes, but only after a minimum qualifying period (usually 46 cumulative days in a year, or immediately upon formal temporary promotion). Entitlement is governed by Regulation 27 of the Police Regulations 2003. Short-term incidental cover is often unpaid.
How long must you act up before being paid?
Under standard Regulations, you must complete 46 cumulative days of acting up in a higher rank within a financial year before being paid at the higher rate. However, if you are formally 'Temporarily Promoted', pay starts from day one.
Does acting up increase pension?
Yes. In the 2015 CARE scheme, pension is based on your actual pensionable earnings. Temporary salary uplifts from acting up or temporary promotion are pensionable, meaning you accrue a slightly higher pension for the duration of the higher-paid period.
Is temporary promotion automatic?
No. Temporary promotion requires a formal designation by a chief officer (or delegate). Simply performing the duties of a higher rank (acting up) is not the same as being formally promoted to a temporary rank.
Can acting up affect misconduct liability?
Yes. When acting in a higher rank, you are held to the standards of that rank. Misconduct or performance failures will be assessed against the duties and responsibilities you have formally accepted, which carry higher levels of accountability.