Introduction
Details of the members' allowance scheme for the Lancashire Combined Fire Authority.
Section 1: Policy
Lancashire Combined Fire Authority, in exercise of the powers conferred by the Local Authorities (Members’ Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003, hereby makes the following Scheme:
1.0 This Scheme shall have effect for the year commencing 1st April 2023 and subsequent years.
2.0 In this Scheme
“Authority” means Lancashire Combined Fire Authority.
"Member" means a Member of the Combined Fire Authority who is an elected Member of one of the constituent Authorities.
"Year" means the twelve months commencing 1st April.
"Meetings" means a meeting of the Authority, its Committees or a body of Members formally established by the Authority or its Committees.
3.0 In this scheme, the total allowances shall consist of Basic Allowance, Special Responsibility Allowances and Co-optees’ Allowance. (For the avoidance of doubt, Attendance Allowance shall not be payable under this Scheme.)
3.1 These total allowances shall be index linked on an annual basis in line with the annual local government pay percentage increase at new spinal column point 43 (formerly point 49).
4.0 Basic Allowance.
4.1 Subject to paragraph 7.0 below, an equal Basic Allowance shall be paid to every Member. The amount of Basic Allowance is detailed in paragraph 1.0 of Schedule 'A' of this Scheme.
4.2 This Basic Allowance is intended to recognise the time commitment expected of Members to enable them to carry out their duties effectively and to recognise that Members use their own homes and facilities in carrying out their work.
5.0 Special Responsibility Allowance.
5.1 Subject to paragraph 7.0 below, each Member who holds a special responsibility as specified within this Scheme, will normally receive a Special Responsibility Allowance as detailed in paragraph 2.1 of Schedule 'A' of this Scheme in addition to the Basic Allowance.
6.0 A Member (including a co-opted Member) may elect to forego any part of his/her entitlement to an Allowance under this Scheme. Such election shall be in the form of a written notice delivered to the Treasurer to the Authority.
7.0 The provisions of this section shall regulate the entitlements of a Member (including a Co-opted Member) to Allowances where, in the course of a year:
(a) The scheme is amended.
(b) A person becomes, or ceases to be, a Member.
(c) A Member accepts or relinquishes a special responsibility in respect of which a Special Responsibility Allowance is payable.
(d) A Member is suspended from the Authority.
7.1 If, during the year, the Scheme is amended and this results in a change to a Member’s entitlement to a Special Responsibility Allowance and/or Basic Allowance and/or Co-optees’ Allowance, the actual entitlement shall be based on:
(a) A proportion of the original annual Allowance based on the number of days up to the date of amendment plus
(b) A proportion of the revised annual Allowance based on the number of days from the date of amendment.
7.2 When the term of office of a Member either begins and/or ends during the course of a year, the entitlement to a Basic/Co-optees’ Allowance shall be based on the number of days in office during that year. Similar pro rata entitlements will apply in situations where a Basic/Co-optees’ Allowance is amended under sub-paragraph 7.1 above.
7.3 Where a Member has special responsibilities (as defined within this Scheme) for part of a year, the entitlement to a Special Responsibility Allowance shall be based on the number of days during that year that the Member has held such special responsibilities. The entitlement shall be pro rata to a full year. Similar pro rata entitlement will apply in situations where Special Responsibility Allowances have been amended under sub-paragraph 7.1 above.
7.4 A member must not receive an allowance from any other authority for his duties as a Member of the Combined Fire Authority
8.0 Travel Allowances
8.1 Members (including Co-opted Members) may be reimbursed for reasonable and necessary travelling expenses by public transport, including the actual and receipted cost of taxi fares, where appropriate, incurred in order to undertake Authority business. If travelling by rail, Members are entitled to travel first class.
If air travel is required prior approval of the Clerk should be obtained.
8.2 Where a Member (including a Co-opted Member) uses his/her own motor car/motor cycle or bicycle, an appropriate mileage rate may be claimed. These mileage rates are set out in Schedule ‘B’ of this Scheme.
9.0 Subsistence Allowances
9.1 Subsistence Allowances are payable where such expenditure has been actually and necessarily incurred in the performance of an approved duty (as defined in Schedule C) where a councillor or co-opted member is absent from their normal place of residence.
9.2 Where the nature of the duties being undertaken result in a Member being absent overnight from his/her usual place of residence, hotel accommodation will either be booked and paid for directly by the Authority or paid by the Member and subsequently reimbursed based on actual receipted expenditure. This reimbursement shall be subject to the maximum allowances detailed in paragraph 3.1 of Schedule ‘B’.
9.3 In the case of an absence from the usual place of residence an appropriate subsistence allowance may be claimed in accordance with the rates of allowances set out in Schedule ‘B’ of this Scheme.
9.4 Subsistence allowances are not normally subject to taxation. However, where these allowances are paid for a period of attendance at the place where the meetings of the Authority or Committee normally take place, such payments are subject to tax and national insurance.
9.5 When main meals (i.e. full breakfast, lunch or dinner) are taken on trains during a period for which there is entitlement to day subsistence, the actual cost of meals (based on receipted expenditure and including VAT) may be reimbursed in full.
9.6 A Councillor or co-opted Member submitting a claim for subsistence allowances should, wherever possible, produce receipts to accompany their claim in respect of expenditure incurred.
10.0 Co-optees’ Allowance for Independent Person(s)
10.1 Subject to section 7.0 above, an annual Co-optees’ Allowance shall be payable to the Independent Person(s) for attendance at meetings and conferences. The amount of this annual Allowance, which shall be the same for each Independent Person(s), is set out in paragraph 3.0 of Schedule ‘A’ of this Scheme.
11.0 Method of Payment.
11.1 Payments of Basic Allowance, Special Responsibility Allowance and Co-optees’ Allowance shall be made monthly in arrears by the last working day of each month. The monthly amount payable shall be one-twelfth of the annual allowance(s) specified in this Scheme and subject to paragraph 7.0 above.
11.2 Separately, individual claims for travel, subsistence and other incidental allowances shall be made on a monthly basis and be submitted to the Treasurer to the Authority as soon as possible at the end of each month. In particular, it should be noted that claims for allowances covering the period up to 31 March must be submitted to the Treasurer by the end of May. Failure to submit these year-end claims within this time scale could result in non-payment.
11.3 Each travel and subsistence claim shall be certified by the claiming Member that he/she has not made and will not make any other claim in respect of the matter to which the claim relates otherwise than under this Scheme.
11.4 Claims received by the Treasurer on or before the 6th of each month will be paid with that month's end payment of Basic/Special Responsibility Allowance(s). Claims received after the 6th of the month will be paid with the following month end payment.
11.5 Any claims that are over three months old will only be considered under exceptional circumstances, such as when the delay is due to absence through sickness.
