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Allowances for ward councillors

Explains what allowances ward councillors can claim, details of how much council members receive, who decides how much each member receives, were any members' allowances increased or reduced as a result of the last annual review and what is the members' register of interests and can the public view it?

What allowances are ward councillors able to claim?

Council members are able to claim back money for expenses related to their work as a councillor under a scheme called the Members’ Allowances Scheme. The kinds of costs incurred through work that the allowance can be used to pay for range from travel expenses to IT costs. 

Further information about what expenses are covered by the Members' Allowances Scheme can be found on the Expenses and allowances page.

The scheme of allowances approved by the council consists of two main types of remuneration for members: Basic Allowance and the Special Responsibility Allowance.

The Basic Allowance is payable to each member of the council whereas the Special Responsibility Allowances are payable to those members who hold positions which require them to spend more time and effort on the council's affairs than would be expected of other members.

Both allowances are paid on a monthly basis without the need of a claim form. All other allowances require the completion of a claim form with supporting receipts if applicable.

A member may opt to forgo their allowance.

How much allowance do members receive?

Full details of how much allowance council members receive can be read on the Expenses and allowances page along with details about what expenses are covered by the Members' Allowances Scheme.

Who decides how much allowance each member receives?

The council decides on Members' allowances, based on recommendations from an independent panel of individuals from East Riding called the Members' Allowances Panel.

Who sits on the Members’ Allowances Panel?

The Members' Allowances Panel was established in 2001 by the council to review and make recommendations to the council on allowances paid to its members. The panel consists of five East Riding residents who collectively have a wide range of experience encompassing business, local government, trade unions, academic institutions and the voluntary sector. 

They are paid an allowance for attending meetings together with reimbursement of any travel expenses incurred. The members of the panel were appointed following public advertisements and are as follows:

  • Mr Robin Fox
  • Mr Paul Morrison
  • Mrs Beverley Porritt
  • Mrs Hazel Smith
  • Mr Phil Wilson.

When does the Members' Allowances Panel meet?

Meetings of the panel are held when there are fundamental changes to the council (for example if there is a major change in membership to the council following a major election) or when it requires them to consider those allowances paid under the members' allowances scheme.

The scheme does have provision to increase some allowances in line with inflation but sometimes the Panel asks for a comparison exercise to be carried out to compare the allowances paid to its members against those allowances paid to other council members.

The panel usually meets no more than twice a year. 

Where can I view the Members' Allowances Panel Report?

The Members’ Allowances Panel undertook a full review of the existing scheme of allowances for councillors and a report with their findings and recommendations was submitted to the Annual Meeting of Council on 16 May 2019. All the Panel’s recommendations were endorsed by the Council, with the exception of the Special Responsibility Allowance for the role of Deputy Leader. 

The report of the Panel and summary of expenses published in the edition of Hull and East Riding Mail on 1 May 2019 can be viewed below:

Members' Allowances Panel Report 2019 (pdf 1mb)

Notice of Members' Allowances Scheme Reviewed (pdf 76kb)

The Council resolved to ask the Panel to reconsider the Special Responsibility Allowance for the Deputy Leader in light of changes which had been made to the key areas of responsibility of this role. The Panel therefore met to consider this element of the Scheme and their findings and recommendations, detailed within the following report, were endorsed by the Council at its meeting of 24 July 2019:

Revised Members' Allowances Report 2019 - Deputy Leader Allowance (pdf 254kb)

Town and parish councils

The Members’ Allowances Panel has recently undertaken a full review of allowances for town and parish councils and a report detailing their findings and recommendations has been published below:  

Parish Remuneration Panel Report (275kb)

This report has been sent to all town and parish councils in the East Riding of Yorkshire. 

What expenses did Members claim for during the last financial year? 

To view the expenses and allowances claimed by individual members for the previous financial year, click on the document below:

Members' expenses and allowances paid 2019-20 (100kb)

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