West Berkshire Council

Councillors' Allowances and Expenses

Information about the allowances paid to our Councillors and co-opted members

The Council Constitution includes a pdf icon Members' Allowance Scheme that sets out the allowances paid to Councillors and co-opted members. Co-opted members are people chosen to represent specific skills or abilities needed by a committee. They are not elected members of the Council, and are appointed because of their level of expertise (eg headteachers or doctors).

The allowance is in recognition of the time that they spend on Council-related activities, such as meetings.

The scheme includes a basic allowance which is paid to all Councillors, special responsibility allowances, and also sets out how much can be claimed for travel, subsistence and dependent carer costs.

For full details of the allowances paid to our Councillors for the 2020/21 financial year, please see pdf icon Councillors' Allowances - 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021 . You can view allowances for previous years' at the bottom of this page.

Councillors should also register any gifts or items of hospitality worth over £25 that they receive in connection with their official duties as a Councillor. You can view the pdf icon Register of Gifts and Hospitality, here . Copies of Councillors' allowances and gifts and hospitality are also available for inspection at our offices by appointment.
 

Independent Review of Councillors' Allowances

The Independent Remuneration Panel met on 6 November 2017 and recommended that the Basic Allowance remained unchanged at £7,398. As the Basic Allowance is index linked to staff pay increases, a two percent pay award in April 2018 has increased the Basic Allowance to £7,546.

pdf icon View a copy of the IRP Report online .