Councillors Allowances Scheme and claims
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Councillors are entitled to claim certain allowances for their role, although they can choose not to be paid some or all of them. We have to provide a Basic Allowance for each Councillor. Other allowances are discretionary.
The amounts of allowances paid to councillors are recommended to the Council each year by the Independent Remuneration Panel. The panel is made up of a group of people who are not councillors. The Council must take into account the panel's recommendations when it decides the level of allowances each year.
The panel can also act as a Parish Remuneration Panel to recommend certain allowances for Town and Parish Councils.
Read on to find out more about the allowances scheme for Wychavon Councillors from 1 April 2021 or you can download information about allowance payments made to councillors.
If you would like more information about anything on this page please email
Current Councillor Allowances Scheme
The Councillor Allowances Scheme sets out the amounts of each allowance and when it can be claimed.
Basic Allowance
This is intended to recognise the time devoted by councillors to their work, including meetings with officers and constituents, and to cover incidental costs such as the use of private telephones.
Each councillors is paid £4,650 a year with payments made monthly.
Special Responsibility Allowance
This reflects additional work required of office holders in the council. Councillors can only receive one Special Responsibility Allowance. However, the Leader of the Council may also receive Special Responsibility Allowance as a Group Leader reduced by 50%.
These are paid monthly. A majority of councillors should not be receiving Special Responsibility Allowances at any given time.
Independent members of the Member Conduct Committee will receive a Special Responsibility Allowance of £357 a year.
If a councillor holds office for which a Special Responsibility Allowance is payable for less than a full year, then the allowance will be paid in proportion to the period the office is held.
The current Special Responsibility Allowances are listed below:
- Leader of the Council - £13,950
- Deputy Leader of the Council - £8,137
- Executive Board Member - £6,975
- Chairman of Planning Committee - £6,975
- Chairman of Overview and Scrutiny Committee - £6,975
- Chairman of an Advisory Panel - £2,325
- Chairman of Licensing Committee - £1,395
- Chairman of Member Conduct Committee - £1,162
- Chairman of Scrutiny Team - £1,162
- Chairman of Audit Committee - £1,162
- Leader(s) of Opposition Groups - £1,162
Civic payments and budgets
The Chairman of the Council is paid a civic payment of £6,949 and the Vice Chairman of the Council £2,860. These are paid in monthly instalments from the time of election to the role, normally from May to March depending on then the Annual Council meeting is held.
The Chairman of the Council also has a travel budget for travelling to civic events as well as a hospitality budget for events and ceremonies hosted by the Chairman.
Travelling and subsistence
Councillors can claim travel and subsistence expenses necessarily incurred when performing an approved duty. These rates are in-keeping with those set for the council's officers.
Subsistence can only be claimed for approved duties attended outside the district.
The approved duties are listed below:
- A meeting of The Council, either as a member of that body or to observe the meeting.
- A meeting of The Executive Board, either as a member of that body or to observe the meeting.
- A committee or sub-committee, either as a member of that body or to observe the meeting
- Any other body to which the council makes appointments or nominations (unless claimable from that body) or a meeting of a Committee or Sub-Committee of such a body.
- Any other meeting the holding of which is authorised by The Council, Executive Board, a committee or sub-committee of the Council, a joint committee of the authority and one or more other authorities, a sub-committee of such a joint committee, provided it is a meeting to which Wychavon members of at least 2 political groups have been invited.
- A meeting of any association of authorities of which the authority is a member.
- Travel to and from meetings of Parish/Town Councils of which the councillor is not a member, when the councillor attends to fulfil his/her ward duties. If the councillor also attends as a county councillor s/he must only claim from one source.
- Meetings of panels properly constituted to deal with establishment matters, eg: appeals, grievances and appointments.
- Meetings involving the council’s officers and connected with the authority’s functions that has been properly convened in writing by the Managing Director or a Service Unit Manager, including being present at the opening of tenders, as required by Contract Standing Orders.
- Conferences, seminars and training events, where attendance has been agreed in accordance with the Member Development Strategy.
- Any one off events designated as an approved duty by the Council.
Subsistence allowances
Listed below below are the current allowance rates for subsistence claims:
- Breakfast allowance, payable for any absence form home for over three hours before 11am - £5.28
- Lunch allowance, payable for any absence from home covering the whole period from midday to 2pm - £7.28
- Tea allowance payable for any absence from home covering the whole period 3pm to 6pm - £2.87
- Evening meal allowance, payable for any absence from home of over 3 hours and extending beyond 7pm - £8.95
- Absence overnight from usual place of residence - £85.20
- Absence overnight from usual place of residence – London only - £97.18
- Absence overnight from usual place of residence for attendance at Local Government Association Annual Conference - £97.18
Travel allowances
Listed below below are the current allowance rates for travel claims:
- Motor cycles - 24p per mile
- Motor cars - 45p per mile
- Bicycle - 20p per mile
Dependent carers allowances
Councillors with caring responsibilities can claim legitimate and reasonable costs as long as the dependent lives at home with the councillor and is either under-16 or in need of full-time care.
Councillors must declare the minder is not a member of immediate family and is over 16.
Costs can only be claimed when incurred attending:
- a meeting of the Council, Executive Board, committee or sub-committee of the Council or Executive Board
- Any other meeting the holding of which is authorised by The Council, Executive Board, a committee or sub-committee of the Council, a joint committee of the authority and one or more other authorities, a sub-committee of such a joint committee, provided it is a meeting to which Wychavon members of at least 2 political groups have been invited.
- Attending a meeting of any association of authorities of which Wychavon is a member.
- Attending the opening of tenders, where required by the Council’s Contract Standing Orders.
- Carrying out a duty to inspect premises.
Other items
Councillors who are members of more than one authority (including the county council and fire authorities) may not receive allowances from more than one authority for the same duties.
Councillors may claim actual expenditure incurred on tolls or parking fees, in addition to vehicle allowances. Proof of expenditure must be provided.
The rate for travel by Taxi Cab shall not exceed:
- In cases of urgency or where no public transport is reasonably available, the amount of the actual fare and any reasonable gratuity paid, and
- In any other case, the amount of the fare for travel by appropriate public transport.
- The rate for travel by public transport must not exceed the ordinary fare or any available cheap fare, and where more than one class of fare is available the rate shall be determined by reference to second class fares unless the Council determines that first class fares shall be substituted.
Non-council members on committees
Travelling and subsistence at the agreed rate for council members will be payable to non-council members of council committees, sub-committees, working parties and working groups, when they could not reasonably be expected to be paid such allowances by any body they might be representing.
Co-optees will be paid travel and subsistence allowance in accordance with the NJC rate for Officers, a bicycle rate of 20p per mile, out of pocket expenses, including loss of earnings where appropriate and claimed; and a dependant carer’s allowance.
Suspension
Councillors who are suspended from office as a result of a finding of a breach of the code of conduct, shall not be entitled to a basic allowance and if applicable, any special responsibility allowance, for the period of suspension from office.
Councillors who are partially suspended as a result of a finding of a breach of the code of conduct, shall not be entitled to any special responsibility allowance applicable to the activities from which the member has been suspended;
If a councillor has been overpaid a basic allowance or a special responsibility allowance as a result of paragraph 11.1 or 11.2 the same shall be repayable upon the written request of the Deputy Managing Director, or may, at his discretion be withheld from subsequent payments due to the councillor.
Payments made to councillors
The links below provide information on how much was paid to councillors in each of the last three financial years. Please note payments in 2019/20 were higher as there was a full council election in that year.
