The General Purposes Committee of Croydon Council met on Tuesday 13 January 2026 to discuss and recommend changes to the Members' Allowances Scheme for the 2026-27 financial year. The committee unanimously agreed to recommend to Full Council an uplift in basic and special responsibility allowances, and also considered proposed amendments to expenses, including an annual inflationary increase.

Members' Allowances Scheme 2026-27

The committee considered proposed amendments to the Members' Allowances Scheme for the 2026-27 financial year. A key decision was to recommend to Full Council an uplift in members' basic and special responsibility allowances of 3.2% for the financial year 2025-26, backdated from April 2025. This figure aligns with the independent panel's recommendations and the local government staff pay settlement.

The report highlighted that the expenses element of the scheme had not been reviewed for at least 25 years. To address this, an annual inflationary increase of 4.1%, reflecting the Consumer Price Index (CPI) from 2024 to November 2025, was proposed for expense rates, excluding mileage. This measure aims to prevent the widening gap between current expense rates and inflation. The scheme also proposes to formalise an annual review of expenses.

The committee also discussed the ongoing review of wider expenses, including subsistence, hotel costs, and travel. While this review is not yet complete, initial findings indicate that London borough expense schemes are unique and that the total expenses claimed by members in 2023/24 and 2024/25 were relatively low (£1,355 and £1,905 respectively). The report noted that private motor vehicle expenses for members differ from those for officers, and a simple alignment is likely to be proposed. The current scheme's fixed rates for accommodation and food/drink were contrasted with officers' reimbursement based on 'reasonableness'. The report suggested strengthening the scheme's wording to encourage members to seek best value and to consider including personal safety and disability needs in taxi provisions.

The committee agreed to recommend to Full Council that the Director of Legal Services be authorised to publicise the 2026-27 scheme and make necessary updates to the council's constitution. The committee also noted that the update and ongoing review of the wider scheme would continue and likely be brought back to a future meeting.

The recommendations were unanimously agreed by the committee, with Councillor Appu Srinivasan seconding the motion.

The meeting concluded with the Chair, Councillor Sean Fitzsimons, thanking members and officers for their attendance and contributions. The next meeting was scheduled for 28 April 2026.