Since the Police Uplift Programme was established in 2019, the government has ringfenced funding to increase and maintain police officer numbers. In 2025–26, the government allocated £270 million to police forces through the officer maintenance grant, which forces are only eligible for if they meet their officer number targets.32 Most recently, in 2025–26, the government allocated £200 million to fund 3,000 additional personnel in neighbourhood policing roles.33

Since the Police Uplift Programme was established in 2019, the government has ringfenced funding to increase and maintain police officer numbers. In 2025–26, the government allocated £270 million to police forces through the officer maintenance grant, which forces are only eligible for if they meet their officer number targets.32 Most recently, in 2025–26, the government allocated £200 million to fund 3,000 additional personnel in neighbourhood policing roles.33 Type: conclusion | Number: 14 | Response status: response_pending Government response: 3.2 The government has listened to policing’s concerns about the financial and operational impacts of requiring forces to maintain a centrally set number of officers; and have assessed that the Police Officer Maintenance Grant has become a barrier to visible policing, sometimes leading to warranted