Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help ensure the provision of appropriate accommodation for police officers whose careers were shortened by significant injury.

Where a police officer is assessed as permanently medically unfit and leaves the service, there are a range of benefits that may be payable under the occupational pension and injury benefit schemes. The entitlement for an individual would depend on the particular circumstances.

This government has also committed to supporting policing through the Police Covenant and National Police Wellbeing Service (NPWS). The covenant is a pledge by government that those who work or have previously worked in policing are not disadvantaged as a result of their service.

NPWS have compiled a leavers package focusing on supporting officers and staff who are leaving the service to transition from a career in policing.

We are not taking any steps to ensure provision of accommodation for former police officers leaving due to illness or injury and as far as we know, there are no other formal provisions for doing so. However, as the answer explains, there are enhanced provisions through the injury benefits and pension arrangements designed to provide financial support to police officers who are no longer able to perform the role through illness or injury.