Previously, officers were allocated an additional sum each year to compensate them for the injuries they received, even when they reached retirement age. However, since Home Office guidance was issued in 2004, many forces have reassessed officers when they have reached retirement age and reduced their injury awards to the lowest possible level. The Government’s recent response to a consultation on this subject suggests that this practice is about to become more widespread.

Commenting, Chris Huhne said:

“The thousands of police officers who have been injured in the line of duty are a reminder of what a dangerous and difficult job it can be.

“As a result of Home Office guidance, many have had their injury pensions slashed and even more are at risk after the Government endorsed the policy in a recent consultation.

“When ill health forced them to retire, they were promised that they would be compensated for the rest of their lives. It is unfair to move the goalposts now.

“There is an exact parallel with the military covenant, and it will prove just as embarrassing to the Home Office as it was to the Ministry of Defence.

“Hero cops who put their bodies on the line in the name of the public safety deserve to be more than just a victim of budget cuts.

“These brave men and women are now faced with a hefty drop in income once they reach retirement age and a very uncertain future as a result.

“This is another example of the Government breaking promises to those that choose to serve.”

A copy of Chris Huhne’s letter to Alan Johnson can be read here.