Members’ Allowances

This page provides details of the Members Allowances Scheme, which came into effect from 1 April 2024.

The amount councillors can claim is reviewed every year by the Independent Remuneration Panel. Copies of the Panel’s report and full scheme are available for inspection by the public on the Council’s website.

Basic Allowance

A basic allowance be paid to each of the 45 councillors at £5,040 per annum.

Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA)

Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) of the amounts indicated be paid per annum to the following office holders:

• Leader of the Council – £14,736
• Cabinet Member – £6,093
• Chair of the Council – £5,226
• Vice-Chair of the Council – £1,293
• Planning Committee Chair – £4,644
• Deputy Planning Committee Chair – £1,535
• Overview and Scrutiny Committee Chair – £4,122
• Audit, Finance and Governance Committee Chair – £4,122
• Licensing Committee Chair – £1,497
• Standards Committee Chair – £1,497
• Largest Minority Group Leader – £1,170 plus £192 per member
• Minority Group Leader(s) (5 or more members) – £192 per member
• Minority Group Leader(s) (less than 5 members) – £415
• Independent Persons on Standards Committee – £909

No councillor shall be entitled to more than one SRA payment. Where a councillor holds more than one office, then the higher of the SRA shall apply. In the event of the Council deciding to appoint a Member of the Cabinet as Deputy Leader, that officeholder shall receive just the same as all the other Cabinet Members.

A further £1,030 is paid to the Chair of the Council and £315 to the Vice-Chair of the Council to cover the cost of clothing, donations, tipping, etc. These amounts are provided separately under Section 3 of the Local Government Act 1972.

Carer’s Allowances

Childcare Allowances to be paid in line with, but not less than, the national minimum wage; however Wealden’s policy of reimbursing reasonable actual costs of care above the level of the allowance is endorsed, at the Portfolio Holder’s discretion.

Carer’s Allowance to be paid up to £12 per hour (i.e. actual expenditure incurred up to a maximum of £12 per hour to be paid for elderly dependant/dependants with disability care) , subject to the following conditions:

• Carers must be pre-nominated (except in emergency) with the Council’s Proper Officer (Democratic Services Manager);
• payments to be limited in their application to formal meetings of the Council; and
• there must be evidence of payment.

Travelling Allowance

The prevailing HM Revenue & Customs Approved Mileage Allowance Payments to apply. As from 6th April 2011, the following amounts have applied:

• Car or Van – 45p per mile for the first 10,000 miles and 25p per mile thereafter
• Motorcycle – 24p per mile (all miles)
• Cycle (and other non-motorised forms of transport) – 20p per mile (all miles)

All claims must be accompanied by a valid receipt and payment is subject to councillors signing to say they have actually and necessarily incurred the amount being claimed.