Councillors' Allowances

To ensure that they are not financially penalised for carrying out their Council duties, Councillors receive from the Council an allowance or allowances. The allowances paid to Councillors are contained within the Council's Members Allowances Scheme. The main allowances paid are:

• a basic allowance - paid to every Member of the Council and is intended to cover costs incurred relating to constituency duties, attending and preparing for meetings of the Council and meetings with officers, political group activities and incidental costs, such as the use of home telephones, faxes, postage and routine travelling costs;
• special responsibility allowance - paid to those Members who undertake the heaviest workloads and who play leading roles in the affairs of the Council (e.g. Leaders of Political Groups, Cabinet Members and Chairmen);
• dependants' carers' allowance - paid to those Members that make a claim to cover the cost incurred for the care of children or dependants whilst attending meetings or carrying out official duties;
• travel allowance - paid to Members that make a claim for reasonable travel expenses that have been necessarily incurred in undertaking a range of approved duties.

All allowances are subject to National Insurance and income tax deductions where appropriate.

Details of the full Members Allowances Scheme can be downloaded below.

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