By . Daily Mail Reporter . A staggering 800 police officers across England and Wales are currently off sick with stress-related illnesses, it was reported today. A survey of the 43 police forces found that smaller, largely rural forces have some of the highest proportions of officers off work with stress. In total 787 officers were listed as currently signed off for stress, but as only 35 forces responded to the Freedom of Information request the real figure could be much higher. The latest allegations about the finances of the Federation - described by one source as just the tip of the iceberg (stock picture) It means the taxpayer is footing the bill which is estimated to be just under £29 million a year. However, it is not known how long each officer has been signed off. Experienced police constables earn . £36,500 a year while senior officers earn much more, The Sunday Telegraph reported. The pay scale for a superintendent rises to £72,585 a year. The highest sick rate was in Derbyshire Constabulary, which reported 30 officers were signed off with stress, amounting to 1.64 per cent of their total number. In comparison, the Metropolitan Police - . by far the biggest force in England and Wales - reported 101 officers . were off with stress, amounting to just 0.33 per cent of their total . numbers. The second highest proportion of officers off sick was West Midlands, with 1.58 per cent. The Metropolitan Police - by far the biggest force in England and Wales - reported 101 officers were off with stress, amounting to just 0.33 per cent of their total numbers . And the third was in Bedfordshire - the fourth smallest force in the country - which reported 1.56 per cent, or 17 of its 1,092 officers. Greater Manchester Police, the second largest force in England and Wales, had 71 officers off with stress, or 0.99 per cent of their 7,200 total. Workers will be referred for health assessments if they are sick for more than four weeks under a new scheme to be launched by the Department for Work and Pensions. Under the Health and Work Service scheme, assessments will carried out by occupational specialists to draw up a plan and timetable to get the patient back to work quickly. Employees will be referred by a GP or their employer but the assessments are not compulsory. Up to 960,000 workers in Britain were on sick leave for more than a month each year between October 2010 and September 2013, according to new figures released by the DWP. Employers face a yearly bill of around £9 billion for sick pay and associated costs, with individuals missing out on £4 billion a year in lost earnings. The DWP believes the scheme, to be launched in England, Scotland and Wales, will save employers £70 million a year and cut the time people spend off work by 20 per cent to 40 per cent. Across England and Wales there were 128,350 officers at the end of September 2013, a drop of nearly 3,500 in 12 months and the lowest number since September 2002. The figures come on the back of savage budget cuts being enforced. When the Coalition came to power it said it would reduce government police grants by 20 per cent over the four years to 2015. As a result the number of officers in England and Wales will fall by 16,000 from 140,000 and pay and pensions are being shaken up. A spokesman for the Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, told The Sunday Telegraph: 'Our members are being asked to do more and more with fewer resources and while they have risen admirably to the challenge it is inevitable that the increased pressures they’re facing will have an impact on their health and wellbeing.' Phil Mason, Derbyshire's head of human resources, said: 'We are surprised that our stress-related absences are higher than other police forces as we do benchmark overall absence with other forces and there has been no indication that our absence levels are significantly higher.' 'Derbyshire Constabulary offers all staff a full confidential care employee assistance programme which includes counselling and emotional support. We offer referrals to our Occupational Support Unit to assist officers with stress-related conditions, recovery and a return to work plan.'
Taxpayer foots the bill estimated to be just under £29 million a year .
Highest sick rate was in Derbyshire Constabulary, at 1.64 per cent .
In comparison, the Met has just 0.33 per cent of its officers off sick .
By . Daily Mail Reporter . A staggering 800 police officers across England and Wales are currently off sick with stress-related illnesses, it was reported today. A survey of the 43 police forces found that smaller, largely rural forces have some of the highest proportions of officers off work with stress. In total 787 officers were listed as currently signed off for stress, but as only 35 forces responded to the Freedom of Information request the real figure could be much higher. The latest allegations about the finances of the Federation - described by one source as just the tip of the iceberg (stock picture) It means the taxpayer is footing the bill which is estimated to be just under £29 million a year. However, it is not known how long each officer has been signed off. Experienced police constables earn . £36,500 a year while senior officers earn much more, The Sunday Telegraph reported. The pay scale for a superintendent rises to £72,585 a year. The highest sick rate was in Derbyshire Constabulary, which reported 30 officers were signed off with stress, amounting to 1.64 per cent of their total number. In comparison, the Metropolitan Police - . by far the biggest force in England and Wales - reported 101 officers . were off with stress, amounting to just 0.33 per cent of their total . numbers. The second highest proportion of officers off sick was West Midlands, with 1.58 per cent. The Metropolitan Police - by far the biggest force in England and Wales - reported 101 officers were off with stress, amounting to just 0.33 per cent of their total numbers . And the third was in Bedfordshire - the fourth smallest force in the country - which reported 1.56 per cent, or 17 of its 1,092 officers. Greater Manchester Police, the second largest force in England and Wales, had 71 officers off with stress, or 0.99 per cent of their 7,200 total. Workers will be referred for health assessments if they are sick for more than four weeks under a new scheme to be launched by the Department for Work and Pensions. Under the Health and Work Service scheme, assessments will carried out by occupational specialists to draw up a plan and timetable to get the patient back to work quickly. Employees will be referred by a GP or their employer but the assessments are not compulsory. Up to 960,000 workers in Britain were on sick leave for more than a month each year between October 2010 and September 2013, according to new figures released by the DWP. Employers face a yearly bill of around £9 billion for sick pay and associated costs, with individuals missing out on £4 billion a year in lost earnings. The DWP believes the scheme, to be launched in England, Scotland and Wales, will save employers £70 million a year and cut the time people spend off work by 20 per cent to 40 per cent. Across England and Wales there were 128,350 officers at the end of September 2013, a drop of nearly 3,500 in 12 months and the lowest number since September 2002. The figures come on the back of savage budget cuts being enforced. When the Coalition came to power it said it would reduce government police grants by 20 per cent over the four years to 2015. As a result the number of officers in England and Wales will fall by 16,000 from 140,000 and pay and pensions are being shaken up. A spokesman for the Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, told The Sunday Telegraph: 'Our members are being asked to do more and more with fewer resources and while they have risen admirably to the challenge it is inevitable that the increased pressures they’re facing will have an impact on their health and wellbeing.' Phil Mason, Derbyshire's head of human resources, said: 'We are surprised that our stress-related absences are higher than other police forces as we do benchmark overall absence with other forces and there has been no indication that our absence levels are significantly higher.' 'Derbyshire Constabulary offers all staff a full confidential care employee assistance programme which includes counselling and emotional support. We offer referrals to our Occupational Support Unit to assist officers with stress-related conditions, recovery and a return to work plan.'
estimated to be just under £29 million a year. was in Derbyshire Constabulary, which reported 30 to 1.64 per cent of their total number. In just 0.33 per cent of their total . numbers. The second highest proportion of officers off sick