Councillor expenses

Members of the County Council are entitled to receive certain allowances.  These are:

1. A basic, flat rate allowance, payable to all Members. The rate is £12,469 per annum. This allowance is intended to recognise the time commitment of all Members, including such calls on their time as meetings with officers and constituents and attendance at political group meetings. It also covers incidental costs such as the use of their homes. The allowance also covers the costs of travel within Members' Divisions such as site visits and meetings with constituents.

2. Special Responsibility Allowances (SRAs) are payable to Members who have significant additional responsibilities, over and above the generally accepted duties of a Member. The SRAs payable in Norfolk County Council and the level of those SRAs are set out in detail in the Members Allowances Scheme, which can be viewed in Part 3C of the Council's constitution.

Examples of SRAs paid are Cabinet Members (£18,703 per annum) and the Chairman of the Council (£14,963 per annum). A Member can only receive one SRA even if they hold more than one position of special responsibility.

3. A Dependent Carers' Allowance is payable towards the cost of care for dependent relatives.  The amounts payable must reflect the actual cost incurred in employing a carer to enable the Member to carry out their council duties.  The rates payable are set out in the Scheme.

4. Travelling allowances are payable to Members to reimburse them for costs incurred in carrying out certain council duties.  These duties are known as 'approved duties' and full details are set out in the Scheme.  Typical examples are:

• Attending meetings of the full Council and of committees to which Members have been appointed
• Attending meetings of outside bodies to which Members have been appointed to represent the County Council

Members can claim mileage for such duties at the rate of 45p per mile.  As most meetings involving Members are held at County Hall, those with divisions further away from Norwich will inevitably incur higher travelling costs.

The Scheme of Members' Allowances is approved by the full County Council but before it approves any changes to the Scheme, the Council is required by law to have regard to the views and recommendations of an Independent Remuneration Panel, made up of non-County Councillors.

Each year, the Council is required to publish in the local press details of the allowances paid to each Member during the previous financial year.  The Council has decided to extend this by publishing those details on its website.

View statements of allowances and expenses paid to Members (listed by financial years)

The Council also publishes on this site, on a monthly basis, the allowances paid to each Member during the previous month.