A Perthshire police officer has told how his wife has had to take on a second job as families battle the increasing cost of living in Scotland.
It comes as officers across the country withdraw their “goodwill” amid a pay row, with officers rejecting a “derisory” £565 pay rise.
The Perthshire-based constable told the justice and social affairs magazine 1919 that his family has considered using a foodbank as rising bills eat up the majority of his pay.
He also revealed how he has considered whether he could make the 16-mile trip to work by bike in a bid to save money.
New data obtained by the magazine has revealed the number of people applying to Police Scotland more than halved last year.
The force received 2,237 applications in 2021/22, down from 5,611 the previous year.
It is also a huge drop on 2019/20, when 4,228 people applied.
The figures have sparked calls for pay hikes to make it a more attractive career option.
Officers are currently withdrawing “goodwill” over a dispute on pay, meaning they are not arriving for shifts early or transporting protective uniform.
They are also being encouraged to reject requests to work overtime unless given a lawful order to do so, with police legally prevented from taking strike action.
A trainee police officer salary is £26,737, rising to £29,020 once fully qualified. After five years the salary goes up to £35,437.
Speaking to 1919, the anonymous Perthshire officer says his wife has had to take on a second job, and he has considered whether he could make the 16-mile trip to work by bike.
The father-of-three said his family is relying on financial help from relatives, and were unable to afford things like a gym membership or a holiday abroad.
‘I really don’t know how we will keep paying the increases’
He added: “Our household fuel bill is now £318 per month.
“If it increases by another 40% I really don’t know how we will keep paying the increases.
“We missed out on the council tax rebate due to the banding of our house. It’s over £300 a month.”
Most of the officer’s take-home pay is spent on his mortgage, energy and council tax bill. The rest is spent on food for the family of five.
“We live in a rural area. It’s a 64-mile round trip to a big supermarket.
“We can’t afford to shop locally as the Co-op is just too expensive.
“We try to batch cook and keep the bill as low as possible.
“We tend to eat the same meals all the time as they are the cheapest, healthy options we can afford.
“We occasionally use the local food waste reduction centre. They get the out-of-date food from the local Co-op and give it away to save food waste.
“I can see us using it more and more. I have considered using a foodbank.”
He said it is “crazy” that as a top-paid PC he was unable to afford basic household bills.
“We don’t live an extravagant lifestyle, far from it. We try to be frugal and not waste things.
Police officer ‘couldn’t afford to get washing machine repaired’
“I had to learn to repair the washing machine myself the other day as we wouldn’t have been able to afford to pay a repair person or buy a new one.
“Since the fuel prices went bonkers, we’ve adjusted the time when the heating goes on so it’s on much less.
“We sit in the living room with blankets when it’s cold and use a wood burner to keep warm.”
He added: “It cost £100 to put fuel in my car the other day.
“It’s just unsustainable. I was working out the other day whether I could cycle the 16 miles each way to work just to save some money.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Police officer numbers in Scotland remain significantly up from 2007, and are favourable relative to elsewhere in the UK.
“It is normal for officer numbers to fluctuate and the current figures were impacted by use of the Police Scotland training college as a base for UK officers during COP26, as well as the ongoing impact of coronavirus restrictions.”
Police chief speaks on cost of living pressures
Speaking at a recent Scottish Police Authority meeting, Police Scotland’s Chief Constable Iain Livingstone recognised the pressures of rising inflation.
He said: “We’ve seen the inflationary pressures as a feature of the current pay claim submitted on behalf of officers.
“As members will know, pay makes up a very high proportion of our revenue spend – around 86p in every pound spent by Police Scotland is on officer and staff pay.
“As Chief Constable, I fundamentally believe pay awards should be fair and they should be affordable.
“Officers and staff work incredibly hard to serve their fellow citizens and deserve fair recompense, given their unique position, the unique challenges and demands placed upon them, and the sacrifices that come with the office of constable.”
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