Since 1974 Councillors have been entitled to receive or to claim a range of allowances for undertaking their Council duties.

Since 2000, the Council has been required to appoint an Independent Panel to advise the Council on an appropriate level for all of the allowances that are paid to Councillors. The full Council sets the levels of allowances, taking into consideration the recommendations of the Panel.

Allowances paid to Councillors are made up of the following:

• A Basic Allowance. For 2010/2011 this amount is £6130. The same rate of Basic Allowance must be paid to all Councillors.
• A Special Responsibility Allowance. Where a Councillor has a role with significant additional responsibility to the standard role of a Councillor they can be paid a Special Responsibility Allowance. The rate of the Allowance is dependent on the level of responsibility for which it is paid.
• Travel and Subsistence allowances can be claimed where a councillor incurs expenditure in order to perform an approved Council duty. They can also claim subsistence when they are acting as the authorised representative of the Council at a meeting, conference or seminar. Actual costs of standard rail fares, taxi & bus fares and other direct costs can also be claimed. Claims have to be supported by receipts. The rates of these allowances are the same as those paid to officers of the authority.
• Councillors can claim a Dependant Carers’ Allowance where expenditure is necessarily and exclusively incurred in arranging care of children or dependants when undertaking approved duties. The maximum rate depends on the nature of the care involved.

Middlesbrough Council holds a public register of all Councillors expenses and subsistence claims, which can viewed by appointment at:

Middlesbrough House
Corporation Road
Middlesbrough
TS1 2YL
Telephone: 01642 726215

You can find an overview of these expenses for the last financial years, on this page.

To view the Members Scheme of Allowances that were ratified at the full Council Meeting on 19 May 2010 please see document in the pink download section on the right.