Councillors on the Isle of Wight could be paid hundreds more in basic allowances.
Full council will consider the Members’ Allowance Scheme 2026/2027 on Wednesday evening (21st January), which includes a £10,800 per year basic allowance from 1st April.
This is a £676 increase from the current £10,124 allowance.
The Isle of Wight Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) has carried out the first fundamental review of the basic allowance for councillors in 25 years.
It found that “not a particularly diverse picture emerges” when reviewing current Isle of Wight councillors.
The recommended £10,800 figure is predicted to be generally in line with inflation from 2024 to 2026.
The panel’s report says:
“The last time such a fundamental review was done was in 2000, when the allowance was set at £5,400 and it is now £10,124, a rise of 87 per cent over the quarter century.
“Comparing that rise with the cost of living over the same period suggests that it has not kept pace with inflation as the Retail Prices Index increased by 136 per cent over a similar timespan.
“Nevertheless, the Isle of Wight Council basic allowance compares reasonably well with other councils, remaining in the middle of the table of allowances of other unitary councils in the South-East region.
“Firstly, the panel considered the question of what the aim of the basic allowance should be and articulated that it should be neither an incentive to seek election as a councillor, nor should it be a deterrent to standing for election.
“We reiterate the point we made last year that the allowances’ scheme can contribute to the development of a diverse and balanced council.”
Members of the IRP interviewed councillors and according to the report, a “not particularly diverse picture emerges”.
Most councillors are said to be retirees or self-employed.
Based on the interviews, the panel said the allowances level and timing of formal meetings might deter some people from seeking election.
The IRP said it intends to ‘monitor and assess’ this matter after the May 2026 election.
More bloody greed, and up will go the council tax to the maximum as well, typical.
Ok, so the Council will be increasing their pay for Councillors from the 1st April and sure as day becomes night, we the Public will be asked pay more Council Tax from 1st April. On the present soundbites being put out by the Council on their lack of available funding to produce a workable Budget from 1st April, this tends to infer we will again be asked for the maximum increase of 5% to our Council Tax from 1st April, or potentially even more this year if Councils are permitted to exceed the current maximum increase which we have experienced over the past few years.
So IW Council have a £13,400,000.00 shortfall
but no worries they may give councillors an increase.
Tough luck, due to tough economic times drop the pay
increases or reduce the amount of councillors.
I bet council tax won’t be frozen in April!
Time they were paid on results. I look forward to receiving their first payment shortly.
Performance pay would be great, the are bleeding
the island dry.
Really??
Most County Councillors are either retired or self employed so why do they need to be paid beyond expenses. Please note that those of us who serve on Parish Councils do so on a voluntary basis, unremunerated.
If they weren’t paid they wouldn’t do it, they are not
dedicated, they are cash cows.
HTF can this be justified? No wonder they don’t want us to vote
When the councilors act in a proper manor at meeting, serve their communities better, and listen to what the general public say then maybe a pay rise can be considered but until then, WHY
You have to be joking us. That feral lot need to oack their bags and go. What an insult. Thise of us scraping by.
I’ve got a good mind to stop paying council tax until they learn to live on what we have to.
Absolutely appalling a disgusting. No wonder that drunk Jordan didn’t want to quit yet .
How much an hour does that work out for each of the councillors it should be easy to find out how much time they spend on the job when I was a parish Councillor it was just petrol money let’s sort the wheat from the chaff
In the mid 1980s to 1992 as a County Councillor I received 256 pounds a year and spent most of that on donations
I considered it a privilege to be elected, as a young family it was a struggle but worth it to represent your community
No wonder the rates are high and problems increasing for the island, maybe Councillors should question accepting yet another increase
Ooohhh a pay rise for doing nothing good for this island and acting like pre school children in meetings
Your comment regarding pre school children is wrong, the children are better behaved and have more intelligence
WOW, Great news. I’m glad to see the Isle of wight council have surplus money available out of next years budget, and it’s still only January!
Fear not everybody, they may freeze our council tax in April for the next financial year!…….Keep dreaming.
They couldn’t freeze a tub of ice cream.