Members Allowances

Just so you know how much Councillors can legally claim, here are the latest figures for South Tyneside. It’s not only MP’s who can make a tidy living on the side.

SOUTH TYNESIDE COUNCIL

The Local Authorities (Members’ Allowances)
(England) Regulations 2003 (as amended)


2007/08 Members’ Allowances Scheme

Basic Allowance (amount per Member)
£ 6,886

Special Responsibility Allowances

Leader of the Council
£ 25,250

Deputy Leader of the Council
£ 16,067

Cabinet Member (8)
£ 9,182

Leader of main opposition group
£ 6,886

Leader of second opposition group
£ 4,590

Chair
Vice-Chair

Scrutiny Committee (4)
£ 9,182
£ 6,886

Pensions Committee
£ 6,886
£ 4,590

Planning Committee
£ 6,886
£ 4,590

Appeals Panel
£ 6,886
£ 4,590

Licensing
£ 6,886
£ 4,590

Community Area Forums (6)
£ 4,590
-
Human Resources
£ 4,590
£ 2,296

Audit Committee
£ 4,590
£ 2,296

No Member should receive more than one Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA). Any Member holding two or more posts eligible for an SRA should be paid only the highest of the SRA’s payable.

Where a Member is also a Member of another authority, that Member should not receive allowances from more than one authority in respect of the same duties.
Co-Optees Allowances

Chair
Vice-Chair

Standards Committee
£ 4,590
£ 2,296

Additional Co‑Optees

Audit Committee
£689

Standards Committee
£689

Dependent Carers’ Allowances

Based on actual costs, but not exceeding £7.45 per hour and per dependant.

Carers’ allowance should be paid for the care of dependants (whether children, elderly people or people with disabilities) when a Councillor attends a meeting or carries out other Council business which is specified in the regulations. The maximum period of entitlement should be the duration of approved duty together with reasonable travelling time.

The allowance should only be paid for care by a registered child minder or carer (not a Member of the Councillor’s own household) and only if supported by receipted paid invoices.

The allowance will be payable for an approved duty and any other duty or class of duty approved by the Head of Corporate Governance for the purposes of, or in connection with, the discharge of any of the Council’s functions or the functions of any of the Council’s committees or sub-committees.


Pension Entitlements

All Members of the Council should be entitled to join the Local Government Pension Scheme. For pension purposes, basic and special responsibility allowances should be pensionable.

Travel Allowances (for Elected Members and Co-Optees)

These are the 2005/06 Inland Revenue rates. They are to be increased if the Inland Revenue publishes revised rates.

2005/06
Cars - First 10,000 miles
40p per mile
Cars - Over 10,000 miles
25p per mile
Cars - Each additional passenger
5p per mile
Motor Cycles
24p per mile

Bicycles
20p per mile

Subsistence and Out of Pocket Allowances (for Elected Members and Co-Optees)
Subsistence

Overnight (outside London) – 24 hours
£ 95.19

Overnight (inside London) – 24 hours
£ 108.57

Breakfast (4 hours before 11am)
£ 5.86

Lunch (4 hours including period 12 noon)
£ 8.08

Tea (4 hours including period 3pm to 6pm)
£ 3.18

Evening Meal (4 hours ending after 7pm)
£ 9.98

Out of Pocket

UK (24 hours)
£ 15.05
Abroad (24 hours)
£ 30.12

Suspension of Allowances

When an elected member is suspended or partially suspended (in accordance with Part III of the Local Government Act 2000) all or an appropriate part of the allowances payable to that elected member during the period of suspension should be withheld by the authority, unless suspension is pending the result of an investigation, in which case allowances will continue to be paid.

Elections to forgo Allowances

Any Elected Member or Co-Optee may, by notice in writing given to the Council’s Head of Finance, elect to forgo all or part of any allowance entitlement.

Future increases in Members’ Allowances (up to 2008/09)

Basic, special responsibility, co-optees and dependent carer’s allowances should increase each year on 1st April by the annual percentage increase in the Retail Price Index.
Mileage rates should continue to match the Inland Revenue’s authorised mileage rates. These allowances should be updated each year when the Inland Revenue publishes revised allowances.
Subsistence and out of pocket allowances should increase each year on 1st April by the annual percentage increase in the Retail Price Index (excluding mortgage interest payments).
The Independent Panel should be asked to reconvene by the Head of Corporate Governance where future changes to the Council’s constitution and committee structure potentially impact on its previous recommendations to the Council.