Who this covers: sworn officers of all ranks, detectives, highway patrol and specialist commands, and administrative staff on police awards.
What lenders do differently
Allowances and overtime
Shift, operational and on-call allowances are a condition of the role and most lenders count them at 80 to 100 per cent. Rostered overtime is counted with a year of history; voluntary overtime and court attendance are shaded more.
Rank and increments
A confirmed promotion is counted from the date the new rate is paid. Increments in the published award can sometimes be counted ahead of time with the schedule, which matters for a constable a step away from a higher band.
Secondary employment
Approved secondary employment or a side business is counted once it has a year's history; the approval letter is the document lenders want.
Concessions
Some lenders include police in essential worker LMI discounts at 85 to 90 per cent with an income floor; others price in standard tiers. Worth checking before the deposit is sized.
Worth knowing before applying
Death-and-disability and income protection scheme deductions on the payslip are sometimes misread as debts; a period on restricted duties needs a return-to-full-duties letter; and the income annualisation calculator reads the payslip the way an assessor does.
The tools that fit
Policies on all of the above differ lender to lender and change without notice; the value of the conversation is knowing which lender's policy reads your payslip best on the day. Understanding how your income is read before you apply is what makes the application calm.