A) Allowances
1. Basic Allowances
A basic allowance is intended to recognise the time commitment of all Councillors, including such inevitable calls on their time as meetings with officers and constituents and approved duties. Basic allowance is also intended to cover incidental costs incurred by Councillors in their official capacity, such as the use of their homes and the cost of any telephone calls, including mobile phone calls.
The maximum annual allowance with effect from 1st April, 2020 is £15,486 payable monthly.
This allowance will be paid in equal monthly instalments via the Council’s Payroll and is subject to tax, National Insurance and pension deductions where applicable.
If a Councillor ceases to be a Councillor before the end of his or her term of office, payment of the allowance will cease and a pro rata calculation will be made to ensure that the Councillor receives the correct amount of allowance. If necessary, an adjustment for under or over payment may be made to ensure that the final payment is correct, and the Council reserves the right to recover any overpayments of Basic Allowance.
In circumstances where a councillor is wholly suspended from carrying out the duties of a councillor in accordance with section 59(5) of the Local Government Act (NI) 2014, the whole of the basic allowance payable to the councillor in respect of the period for which the councillor is suspended shall be withheld.
In circumstances where a councillor is wholly suspended from carrying out the duties of a councillor in accordance with section 60(1) (Decisions on Interim Reports) of the Local Government Act (NI) 2014, the whole of the basic allowance payable to the councillor in respect of the period for which the councillor is suspended shall be withheld, subject to the provision that the allowance withheld shall be payable to the councillor concerned should the final adjudication of the Commissioner for Standards exonerate the councillor concerned.
In circumstances where a councillor is partially suspended from carrying out the duties of a councillor in accordance with section 59(5) or section 60(1) of the Local Government Act (NI) 2014, the basic allowance payable to the councillor in respect of the period for which the councillor is partially suspended shall continue.
2. Special Responsibility Allowances
In addition to Basic Allowance the Council also pays Special Responsibility Allowances to those Councillors it considers to have significant additional responsibilities over and above the generally accepted duties of a Councillor. These special responsibilities are related to the discharge of the Council's functions.
The maximum rate of Special Responsibility Allowance is determined by the Department for Communities. The division of the Special Responsibility Allowance is based upon the positions held by individual Councillors as agreed.
The Council agreed a special responsibility allowance threshold of £117,774 which may be paid to holders of positions of responsibility. No more than 50% of the Councillors can receive a special responsibility payment and no individual member can receive more than one special responsibility payment.
Special Responsibility Allowance is paid in equal, monthly instalments. Special Responsibility Allowances are liable for tax, National Insurance and pension deductions where applicable
In the event of a Councillor ceasing to hold an office which entitled him or her to receive a Special Responsibility Allowance before the term of office is completed, payment of the Allowance ceases. If necessary, an adjustment for under or overpayment may have to be made to ensure that the final payment is correct, and the Council reserves the right to recover any overpayments of Special Responsibility Allowance.
Rates of Special Responsibility Allowances with effect from 1st April, 2024 are:
|
Position |
Committee |
Allowance |
|---|---|---|
|
Chairperson’s Allowance |
Strategic Policy and Resources |
£5,500 |
|
City Growth and Regeneration |
£5,500 |
|
|
People and Communities |
£5,500 |
|
|
Licensing |
£5,500 |
|
|
Planning |
£5,500 |
|
|
Belfast Waterfront and Ulster Hall |
£5,500 |
|
|
Climate and City Resilience |
£5,500 |
|
|
Standards and Business |
£5,500 |
|
|
Deputy Chairperson’s Allowance |
Strategic Policy and Resources |
£2,750 |
|
City Growth and Regeneration |
£2,750 |
|
|
People and Communities |
£2,750 |
|
|
Licensing |
£2,750 |
|
|
Planning |
£2,750 |
|
|
Belfast Waterfront and Ulster Hall |
£2,750 |
|
|
Climate and City Resilience |
£2,750 |
|
|
Standards and Business |
£2,750 |
|
Position |
Party |
Allowance |
|---|---|---|
|
Party Group Leader |
Sinn Féin (22 Members) |
£7,687.08 |
|
DUP (14 Members) |
£6,209.96 |
|
|
Alliance (11 Members) |
£5,656.04 |
|
|
SDLP (5 Members) |
£4,548.20 |
|
|
GREEN (3 Members) |
£4,178.92 |
|
|
UUP (2 Members) |
£3,994.28 |
|
|
Deputy Party Group Leader |
Sinn Féin |
£3,250 |
|
DUP |
£3,250 |
|
|
Alliance |
£3,250 |
|
|
SDLP |
£3,250 |
|
|
Party Secretary |
Sinn Fein |
£3,250 |
|
DUP |
£3,250 |
In circumstances where a councillor is wholly suspended from carrying out the duties of a councillor in accordance with section 59(5) of the Local Government Act (NI) 2014, the whole of any special responsibility allowance payable to the councillor in respect of the period for which the councillor is suspended shall be withheld.
In circumstances where a councillor is wholly suspended from carrying out the duties of a councillor in accordance with section 60(1) (Decisions on Interim Reports) of the Local Government Act (NI) 2014, the whole of any special responsibility allowance payable to the councillor in respect of the period for which the councillor is suspended shall be withheld, subject to the provision that the allowance withheld shall be payable to the councillor concerned should the final adjudication of the Commissioner for Standards exonerate the councillor concerned.
In circumstances where a councillor is partially suspended from carrying out the duties of a councillor in accordance with section 59(5) of the Local Government Act (NI) 2014, that part of any special responsibility allowance (to which the partial suspension relates) payable to the councillor in respect of the period for which the councillor is partially suspended shall be withheld.
In circumstances where a councillor is partially suspended from carrying out the duties of a councillor in accordance with section 60(1) (Decisions on Interim Reports) of the Local Government Act (NI) 2014, that part of any special responsibility allowance (to which the partial suspension relates) payable to the councillor in respect of the period for which the councillor is partially suspended shall be withheld, subject to the provision that the allowance withheld shall be payable to the councillor concerned should the final adjudication of the Commissioner for Standards exonerate the councillor concerned.
3. Civic Dignitaries Allowance
Section 32 of the Finance Act provides that a council may pay to the Civic Dignitaries such allowances as it considers reasonable to meet the expenses of those offices and they should be considered totally separate from SRA arrangements.
The Civic Dignitary Personal Allowances are paid in equal, monthly instalments and are liable for tax, National Insurance and pension deductions where applicable.
The entitlements, per annum, are:
- Lord Mayor £34,800
- Deputy Lord Mayor £6,250
- High Sherriff £6,250
Where a Lord Mayor or Deputy Lord Mayor is suspended from carrying out the duties of a councillor in accordance with section 59(5) of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014, the part of Civic Allowance payable to the Councillor in respect of the period for which the Councillor is suspended will be withheld.
4. Dependants’ Carers’ Allowance
Any Member who is the main carer of a dependant, where care is required to enable that Member to perform an Approved Duty (see page 9), may claim Dependent Carers’ Allowance (DCA). The rate for Standard Care is based on the hourly national living wage for age 25 or over, and the rate for Specialised Care is double the rate for Standard Care. The rates from 1 April, 2022 are:
- Standard Care - £10.42 per hour limited to £542.00 per month
- Specialist Care - £20.84 per hour limited to £1,084 per month
A dependant is defined as:
- a child under 16 years old;
- a child 16 years old or older, where there is medical / social work evidence that full-time care is required;
- an adult with recognised physical/mental disability where there is medical / social work evidence that full-time care is required; or
- an elderly relative requiring full-time care.
For the purposes of this allowance, a carer is defined as a responsible person over 16 years old who does not normally live with the councillor as part of that household; and is not a parent/guardian of the dependant. A specialist carer is a qualified person who is needed where it is essential to have professional assistance.
Receipts must be obtained from specialist carers and must accompany the claim form. Councillors may claim only once for each occurrence of an approved duty (page 9) and only one Dependants’ Carers’ Allowance rate is payable, even if there are two or more dependants being cared for.
Councillors must disclose any financial support provided under this allowance when applying for other care services offered by another public body.
This allowance claim may also include the duration of essential travel time, up to a maximum of one hour before the approved duty starts and ending up to one hour after it finishes.
5. District Policing and Community Safety Partnership Allowances (DPCSP)
This allowance is paid to councillors who are members of the District Policing and Community Safety Partnership. Each councillor is entitled to claim £60 per attendance at each meeting and may claim for up to a maximum of 20 meetings a year. Each member can also claim for mileage for attending each meeting directly from DPCSP.
Chairpersons of each DPCSP are entitled to claim for an additional 10 meetings per year of the DPCSP. In addition the Chairperson of the 4 DCPSPs also sit on the Belfast Policing and Community Safety Partnership (PCSP) and are entitled to claim for up to 20 meetings per year of this partnership.
6. Renunciations
Councillors may, if they wish, renounce their entitlement to basic, chairperson, vice chairperson or special responsibility allowances. They can do this by writing to the Chief Executive. A councillor can subsequently withdraw the renunciation. They can also amend a renunciation (for example, to limit it to one kind of allowance only). The withdrawal or amendment cannot have retrospective effect.
7. Disqualification or Suspension of a Councillor
The Local Government Commissioner for Standards may impose sanctions on a Councillor who is found to have breached the Northern Ireland Code of Conduct for Councillors. Such sanction may be imposed at the conclusion of the Commissioner’s adjudication process of the alleged breach or at the conclusion of an interim adjudication by the Commissioner.
For the purpose of this Scheme of Allowances, the following action will be taken upon receipt by the Chief Executive of a decision by the Commissioner which results in the disqualification or the suspension of a Councillor:
Disqualification
If a Councillor is disqualified, then the payment of all allowances and the provision of all support services outlined in this Scheme will cease with immediate effect from the date of disqualification.
Suspension
If a Councillor is wholly suspended for a period, then the payment of all allowances and the provision of all support services outlined in this Scheme will cease with immediate effect from the date of suspension.
