NARPO
Explained
A plain, independent account of the National Association of Retired Police Officers: its legal form, who can join, what membership costs, what it says it offers and campaigns on, and what it cannot do for you. Taken from NARPO's own Articles, Rules and website and from Companies House. PolicePay is independent and has no connection with NARPO.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 1 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated
NARPO is the National Association of Retired Police Officers, founded in 1919 and since 2024 a company limited by guarantee. Full membership is for former officers who qualified for a police pension and did not leave through misconduct; branches can admit widows, partners and others. NARPO's 2026 subscription is £27.84 a year, and branches may add their own. PolicePay has no connection with NARPO.
PolicePay is independent and has no connection with NARPO. We have no commercial arrangement with it or its partners, we do not rank it against other associations, and we make no recommendation about whether to join. Everything below about what NARPO offers is NARPO's own description, read on 1 October 2026.
What NARPO is
NARPO stands for the National Association of Retired Police Officers. Its Articles of Association state one objective: "to safeguard the rights of Members and promote measures for their welfare with particular regard to police pensions". To do that, the Articles say it represents members' interests, makes representations to police bodies, authorities and government departments, and promotes legislation on pensions, welfare and care.
| Question | What we found | Source |
|---|---|---|
| What does NARPO stand for? | National Association of Retired Police Officers | NARPO Rules, rule 2.1 |
| Legal form | Private company limited by guarantee without share capital, company number 15415367, incorporated 16 January 2024; status active | Companies House |
| Before 2024 | An unincorporated association of the same name; its branches became branches of the company | NARPO Articles (definition of "Unincorporated Association", Article 43.2) |
| Founded | 1919. NARPO's history describes a meeting of 500 retired officers in London on 25 July 1919 that set up the association's national committee | NARPO, A Century of Service (history) |
| Stated objective | "To safeguard the rights of Members and promote measures for their welfare with particular regard to police pensions" | NARPO Articles, Article 2.1 |
| Profits | Income is applied only to its objectives; no distribution to members; on winding up, remaining assets go to a police charitable fund | Articles 4.2 to 4.4 and 5.2 |
| Headquarters | NARPO House, 38 Bond Street, Wakefield | Companies House; NARPO Rules, rule 2.4 |
| Size, as NARPO states it | 106 branches and over 93,000 members; nine staff at the Wakefield office | NARPO staff page |
Legal form. Companies House lists National Association of Retired Police Officers, company number 15415367, as a private company limited by guarantee without share capital, incorporated on 16 January 2024, with the nature of business "activities of other membership organisations". Members' liability is limited to £1 each (Article 6). The Articles describe the earlier body as an unincorporated association and carry its branches across. We found nothing on NARPO's site describing it as a registered charity or a trade union, and we did not search the charity registers, so we do not say either way.
Who it speaks for. NARPO says it seeks to represent "the UK's more than a quarter of a million former Police Officers, staff, their partners and former partners, and those widowed both in and after service", and that it is a member of the Public Service Pensioners' Council and Later Life Ambitions. Its own figure for actual membership is over 93,000, in 106 branches. We have no independent figure.
Who can join NARPO
NARPO's Articles set out the categories. Applications are made to a local branch: the Branch Secretary decides, and a refused applicant must be told why within 14 days and can appeal to the Branch Committee within 14 clear days (Article 9). Applicants must disclose any "antecedent matter" that could bring discredit on the association (Article 7.1).
| Category | Who | Subscription | Rights | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full Member | Former officers who served in a police force and met the minimum service, age or ill-health requirements for a police pension (including a deferred pension), and who were not dismissed or required to resign for misconduct, or found at a hearing that they would have been dismissed | Minimum subscription, plus any branch subscription | All services; can be a branch officer and a Conference delegate | Article 8.1; definitions of "Police Force" and "Police Pension" |
| Spouse member | The wife, husband, civil partner or partner of a Full Member, while that remains the case | Exempt from the minimum subscription | Membership rights except those reserved to Full Members | Article 8.4; Rule 4.2 |
| Widow member | The widow, widower, civil partner or partner of a deceased former or serving police officer | Exempt from the minimum subscription | As above | Rules, definition of "Widow"; Rule 4.2; join page |
| Member (by discretion) | Anyone not eligible as a Full Member, if the Branch Secretary grants membership. NARPO's join page names widows, widowers, partners and spouses | Minimum subscription unless an exemption applies | As above; cannot be a branch officer or Conference delegate | Article 8.3; join page |
| Life member | A Full Member a branch considers has given outstanding service to NARPO | Exempt | Full Member rights for life | Article 8.2; Rule 4.2 |
- Ill-health and deferred pensioners. The Full Membership test is meeting the "minimum service, age or ill health requirements that would entitle them to a Police Pension", and the Articles define a police pension to include a deferred pension and an injury pension. So it is not limited to 30-year retirees.
- Officers who left through misconduct. Excluded from Full Membership if dismissed or required to resign for misconduct, or if a misconduct panel decided they would have been dismissed had they still been serving.
- Serving officers. The Articles have no category for serving officers; Full Membership is for former officers.
- Police staff. Not eligible as Full Members, which requires service in a police force as an officer. Under Article 8.3 a Branch Secretary can grant membership to anyone not eligible as a Full Member.
- Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man. The Articles' definition of "Police Force" includes forces under the Isle of Man Police Act 1993, the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 and the Police Service (Northern Ireland) Act 2000. But NARPO's eight regions are drawn from England, Wales and the Isle of Man only (Article 42.1), so a former Scottish or Northern Ireland officer would join an English or Welsh branch.
How much NARPO membership costs
NARPO's join page, read on 1 October 2026, says: "The subscription rate for 2026 is only £27.84 for the whole calendar year." That works out at £2.32 a month. Other NARPO pages describe membership as "less than £28 per year". How the figure works, from NARPO's Rules:
- A national minimum. Every branch member pays the Minimum Subscription, except life, spouse and widow members and people who are Full Members of another branch (Rule 4.2).
- Linked to police pension increases. The minimum rises each 1 January by the same percentage as the police pension increase determined in the previous year, rounded up so it divides evenly by 12 (Rule 4.3). A different change needs a two-thirds vote at Annual Conference (Rule 4.4).
- Branch extras. Each branch can charge an additional branch subscription to all or some members, set by its committee (Rule 4.5). So the total you pay depends on the branch.
- Who collects it. Branches collect subscriptions (Rule 4.1) and pass a share, currently set at 40% of the minimum per member, to the national body (Rule 5).
- Arrears. A branch committee can end the membership of someone who does not pay (Rule 7.1).
Ask the branch you would join for its total annual cost and how payment is taken. We did not verify payment methods.
What NARPO says it offers members
The list below is NARPO's own description of its services, grouped. PolicePay has not tested or assessed any of them, including the insurance and discounts, which are provided by external firms NARPO names on its site.
If you came here because you want to understand your own pension in retirement, our free police retirement guides cover payments, tax, the lump sum, working again and survivors, scheme by scheme. To see what a given April increase does to your pension, try the free pension increase calculator. Neither depends on membership of anything.
NARPO's campaigning, as it describes it
Campaigning is written into NARPO's Articles: making representations to police bodies and government, and promoting legislation on pensions and welfare (Article 2.2). On its website NARPO highlights:
- Survivors' pensions ("Love or Money"). NARPO says it is campaigning to end what it calls an injustice for police widows, widowers and surviving partners under the Police Pensions Regulations 1987, who can lose a survivor's pension on remarriage or cohabitation, and to bring England and Wales into line with protections it says already exist in Northern Ireland and for Armed Forces families. A NARPO page dated May 2026 reports an Early Day Motion in Parliament supporting it. For what the rules currently say, see our guide to survivor and death benefits.
- Injury award reviews. NARPO publishes guidance and case summaries for retired officers whose injury awards are reviewed under regulation 37 of the Police (Injury Benefit) Regulations 2006. Its guidance says the force can review at suitable intervals and that former officers should co-operate, and sets out what it says a lawful review requires. Our injury award review guide covers the same ground from the regulations and judgments.
- Pension increases and pension law. NARPO posts updates on the September CPI figure that sets the April increase, on the McCloud litigation and on other police pension cases.
- Coalitions. NARPO says it works with the Public Service Pensioners' Council and Later Life Ambitions, and that together with partner bodies it represents the views of over 1 million older people.
We have reported what NARPO says its campaigns seek. We have not assessed whether any campaign is right, or likely to succeed. Changing police pension rules needs the government to amend the regulations.
How NARPO is run
- Branches. Members belong to a branch. Branches are autonomous within the Articles and Rules, hold their own annual meeting between 1 January and 15 May, keep their own bank accounts and can set their own extra subscription (Article 43; Rules 4 and 8). NARPO has a branch finder on its website.
- Regions. Eight: North West (including the Isle of Man), North East, Midlands, Eastern, South East, South West, Wales and London (Article 42.1). Each region meets before 30 April each year and appoints one Full Member to the National Executive Committee, plus a reserve (Articles 24.1 and 42.2).
- National Executive Committee. Its members act as the company's directors. The NEC chair is NARPO's President and also chairs Conference.
- Annual Conference. NARPO's annual general meeting, generally in September (Article 29.1). The 2026 Conference was on 11 September in Torquay, and NARPO publishes annual and finance reports on its conference page.
- Staff. NARPO says nine people work at its Wakefield office, led by a chief executive.
NARPO, the Police Federation and other associations
The Police Federation. The Police Federation of England and Wales is the statutory staff association for serving officers from constable to chief inspector. NARPO is a separate organisation for people who have left. NARPO's own history notes that both bodies date from the summer of 1919. In practice the two meet at retirement: some Federation branches run retirement seminars and mention NARPO in their retirement pages, and branch group insurance schemes have their own rules about continuing cover after you retire (see insurance after leaving or retiring).
Scotland and Northern Ireland. Separate associations exist for retired officers there: the Retired Police Officers Association Scotland and the Northern Ireland Retired Police Officers Association. Both have websites that confirm they exist and that they operate through branches or a members' area; we could not read their membership rules or costs, so we do not set them out.
Other ranks' associations. We did not find a published retired-members arrangement for the Police Superintendents' Association that we could verify, so we do not describe one. Ask your former staff association directly.
What NARPO does not do
Some retired officers contact an association expecting it to fix a pension problem directly. Based on what NARPO publishes and how police pensions work:
- It is not your pension administrator. Your pension is calculated and paid by your force's pension administrator. NARPO's own pages direct members to the GOV.UK index of administrators.
- It cannot change your pension. Police pension rules are made by the government in regulations. NARPO can lobby and make representations; it cannot alter an entitlement.
- It is not a regulator or ombudsman. Complaints about how a pension was worked out go through the scheme's formal complaints process and then, if unresolved, to the Pensions Ombudsman.
- Membership does not affect your entitlement. Your pension, increases and survivor benefits are the same whether or not you join.
- Its partner services are separate businesses. Legal, insurance and financial services come from external firms on their own terms.
- Regulated advice. Nothing we read says NARPO gives regulated financial advice. For a personal recommendation on a large or irreversible decision, use an FCA-authorised adviser.
Joining step by step
- Check which category fits you (Full Member, spouse, widow or discretionary member) using the table above.
- Find a branch. Usually the one for your former force area or where you live; NARPO's website has a branch finder. You can be a Full Member of one branch and an ordinary member of others (Article 8.6).
- Apply. NARPO's join page links to an online application; the Articles say the Branch Secretary decides.
- Disclose anything relevant. The Articles put the onus on applicants to disclose any matter that could discredit the association.
- Ask the branch its total annual cost (national minimum plus any branch subscription) and how payment is taken.
- If refused, you should be told why within 14 days and can appeal to the Branch Committee within 14 clear days.
- To leave, write to your Branch Secretary (Article 11.1).
Where to get individual help instead
| What you need | Who deals with it | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Your pension figures, payments, a change of bank or address, a P60 | Your police pension administrator | NARPO's own pages point members to the GOV.UK index of administrators |
| A complaint about how your pension was worked out or paid | The scheme's formal complaints process, then the Pensions Ombudsman | The Ombudsman says you must normally complete the formal process first; both are free |
| Help while still serving (conduct, pay, retirement timing) | Your Police Federation or staff association representative | The Federation represents serving constables to chief inspectors |
| An injury award review or appeal | A solicitor experienced in police injury pensions; the Federation if you are still serving | See our injury award review guide |
| State Pension, National Insurance gaps | DWP and HMRC (GOV.UK forecast, Future Pension Centre) | See our State Pension guide |
| Tax codes | HMRC | Administrators apply the code HMRC sends |
| Free guidance on retirement income | MoneyHelper | Pension Wise covers defined contribution pensions only |
| A recommendation on a big or irreversible decision | An FCA-authorised financial adviser | Neither PolicePay nor, as far as we read, NARPO gives regulated advice |
For the State Pension side, see police retirement income and the State Pension. For your first year as a pensioner, see your police pension in payment.
What people get wrong about NARPO
What we could not verify, and how we handled it
- Membership numbers. 93,000 members and 106 branches are NARPO's own figures; we attribute them and have no independent check.
- Charity or trade union status. We read the Companies House record and NARPO's own statements. We did not search the charity registers or the Certification Officer's lists, so we do not describe NARPO as either.
- Branch subscriptions and payment methods. Set locally and not published centrally. Ask the branch.
- The Articles version. We read version 3.1, updated January 2025, as linked from NARPO's site on 1 October 2026. Later changes by Conference may not be reflected.
- The quality or price of partner services. Not assessed. Any insurance, legal or financial product should be judged on its own terms.
- Scottish and Northern Ireland associations. Their sites confirm they exist; we could not read membership rules or costs.
- The Early Day Motion. Reported by NARPO; we did not read the parliamentary record of it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does NARPO stand for?
National Association of Retired Police Officers. NARPO's Rules give that as its name and NARPO as its short title. It is a membership organisation for former police officers and their families, run from Wakefield, West Yorkshire.
What is NARPO?
An association founded in 1919 that exists, in the words of its Articles, to safeguard the rights of members and promote measures for their welfare, with particular regard to police pensions. Since January 2024 it has been a company limited by guarantee (Companies House number 15415367), organised in local branches and eight regions.
How much does NARPO membership cost?
NARPO's join page says the subscription for 2026 is £27.84 for the whole calendar year. Its Rules say this minimum rises each 1 January in line with the police pension increase, and that a branch can add its own branch subscription. Spouse, widow and life members are exempt from the minimum subscription.
Who can join NARPO?
Full membership is for former police officers who met the service, age or ill-health conditions for a police pension and did not leave through misconduct. A Branch Secretary can grant membership to others, and NARPO names widows, widowers, partners and spouses. Applications go to a local branch, which decides.
Can police widows join NARPO?
Yes. NARPO's join page says membership can be granted to widows, widowers, partners and spouses, and its Rules exempt widow members from the minimum subscription. Widow members cannot be branch officers or Conference delegates, which are reserved for Full Members.
Can police staff join NARPO?
Not as Full Members, which requires service as a police officer. NARPO says it seeks to represent former officers and staff, and its Articles let a Branch Secretary grant membership to anyone not eligible as a Full Member. Ask the branch you want to join.
Is NARPO part of the Police Federation?
No. The Police Federation of England and Wales represents serving officers from constable to chief inspector. NARPO is a separate company for people who have left. Some Federation branches mention NARPO in their retirement information.
What benefits does NARPO offer?
According to NARPO: information on police, injury and survivor pensions and on State Pensions and benefits; a welfare hub; access to partner firms for legal services, wills and probate; insurance arranged through external partners; member discounts; a magazine and newsletter; and local branch social activities. PolicePay has not assessed any of these.
Can NARPO change my police pension or sort out a payment problem?
No. Your pension is paid and calculated by your pension administrator under the Police Pensions Regulations, which only the government and Parliament can change. NARPO can publish guidance and make representations, but your figures and any dispute go to the administrator and, if unresolved, the Pensions Ombudsman.
Does NARPO help with injury award reviews?
NARPO publishes guidance for retired officers facing a review under regulation 37 of the Police (Injury Benefit) Regulations 2006, including what to prepare and case law it relies on. Guidance is not representation; for your own review, consider a solicitor experienced in police injury pensions.
Is there a NARPO in Scotland or Northern Ireland?
NARPO's eight regions cover England, Wales and the Isle of Man, though its Articles count Scottish and Northern Ireland forces as police forces for membership. Separate associations exist: the Retired Police Officers Association Scotland and the Northern Ireland Retired Police Officers Association. We could not read their membership rules.
How do I leave NARPO?
Article 11.1 says any member may resign by giving written notice to their Branch Secretary. If you pay by a regular deduction or direct debit, ask the branch how to stop it.
Sources and how we checked them
Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 1 October 2026. Rules and figures change, so check the source for the date you are reading this. Where we could not confirm something from an official or independent source, the page says so rather than guessing. Spotted something out of date? See our corrections policy.
- NARPO: Who we are — who it seeks to represent; Public Service Pensioners Council and Later Life Ambitions; company limited by guarantee 15415367; contact details (accessed 1 October 2026)
- NARPO: Join us — membership categories in NARPO's words; 2026 subscription £27.84 for the calendar year (accessed 1 October 2026)
- NARPO: Articles of Association and Rules, v3.1 (updated January 2025) — objectives (Art 2), assets (Arts 4 to 6), membership (Arts 7 to 12), NEC (Art 24), Conference (Art 29), regions (Art 42), branches (Art 43); Rules 2 and 4 to 7 on name and subscriptions (accessed 1 October 2026)
- Companies House: National Association of Retired Police Officers (15415367) — company type, incorporation 16 January 2024, active, SIC 94990 (other membership organisations) (accessed 1 October 2026)
- NARPO: A Century of Service, 1919 to 2019 (history) — founding meetings in 1919 (accessed 1 October 2026)
- NARPO: Staff — 106 branches, over 93,000 members, nine staff (NARPO's figures) (accessed 1 October 2026)
- NARPO: National Executive Committee — NEC members by region; NEC chair is NARPO President (accessed 1 October 2026)
- NARPO: Member services and Legal services — insurance through external partners, discounts, vehicles, community pages, magazine; legal partners at /legal-services/ (accessed 1 October 2026)
- NARPO: Welfare hub — health, bereavement and financial resources; Police Mutual Care Line link (accessed 1 October 2026)
- NARPO: Survivor pensions and the Early Day Motion page (May 2026) — NARPO's campaign on 1987 scheme survivors who remarry or cohabit, compared with Northern Ireland and the Armed Forces (accessed 1 October 2026)
- NARPO: Injury pensions — regulation 37 review guidance, case summaries and administrator letters (accessed 1 October 2026)
- NARPO: Conference — 2026 Annual Conference on 11 September in Torquay; annual reports (accessed 1 October 2026)
- Police Federation of England and Wales: becoming a member — Federation membership is for serving officers (accessed 1 October 2026)
- Leicestershire Police Federation: retirement — an example of a Federation branch describing NARPO and running retirement seminars (accessed 1 October 2026)
- Retired Police Officers Association Scotland — separate Scottish association; branch membership (accessed 1 October 2026)
- Northern Ireland Retired Police Officers Association — separate Northern Ireland association (accessed 1 October 2026)
- The Pensions Ombudsman: what we can and cannot do — complete the formal complaints process with the scheme manager or administrator first (accessed 1 October 2026)
On this topic elsewhere
More in this guide series
Pension tools and guides
Disclaimer
PolicePay.co.uk is an independent reference site. It is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority and this page is general information, not financial, tax or pension advice, and it cannot consider your personal circumstances. Pension and tax rules change and depend on your scheme, service and tax position: check your pension administrator's statement and, where sums are large or decisions hard to reverse, speak to an FCA-authorised adviser, Pension Wise (free guidance for defined contribution pensions only) or HMRC. Details apply to England and Wales unless stated. Details are as checked on 1 October 2026.