The PSNI has spent over £226million on injury on duty payments to officers since 2017.
From the 2017/18 financial year to 2023/24, the force has issued £226,579,881 from 21,035 injury on duty claims a Freedom of Information request has revealed.
The average payment made per claim during that time was around £10,771, with the last financial year seeing the largest figure paid out to officers at £34,739,560 from 3,106 claims. the average payout per claim in 2023/24 was £11,184.66.
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On April 1, 2024, the PSNI had 6,396 full time officers, with the number of claims showing the equivilent of 48.5% of officers claimed an injury on duty payment in the last financial year. Although certain officers may have made more than one claim during that time and others may not currently be with the force.
The injury on duty payments made to PSNI officers since 2017 are;
| Year | Number of Payments | Total amount paid |
| 2017/18 | 2,748 | £29,683,292 |
| 2018/19 | 2,881 | £33,904,513 |
| 2019/20 | 3,000 | £34,089,531 |
| 2020/21 | 3,046 | £30,592,334 |
| 2021/22 | 3,120 | £30,880,770 |
| 2022/23 | 3,134 | £32,689,881 |
| 2023/24 | 3,106 | £34,739,560 |
Injury on duty payments are made to officers who have been deemed to have suffered an injury while working with those applying for them being assessed by a medical practitioner who will determined the severity of their injury.
Those who receive an injury on duty pay award receive an ongoing, tax free, monthly, injury allowance and a one off, tax free lump sum payment.
The Northern Ireland Policing Board has the overall responsibility for the injury on duty payments.
A PSNI spokesperson said: "The Police Service of Northern Ireland is workforce focused and our Occupational Health and Wellbeing Department provide our officers and staff with a wide range of services and resources. Responsibility for the award of injury on duty payments sits with the Northern Ireland Policing Board and the regulations governing injury on duty payments are the responsibility of the Department of Justice.
"The increasing cost of Injury on Duty Awards is a further pressure on the police budget."
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