More than £77,000 extra in councillors’ allowances is being proposed as Ipswich Borough Council's is the lowest in Suffolk.

Councillors across Ipswich are due to meet on Wednesday evening to discuss a proposed increase to the councillors’ allowances - money to cover the costs of carrying out council duties, including phone, postage, and travel.

Each local authority sets its own rate for allowances depending on each councillor’s role and responsibility, meaning the leader or cabinet member will receive more than a councillor without an extra responsibility.

Ipswich’s Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP), made up of completely independent community representatives, is due to propose an increase in allowances ahead of their statutory review next month.

If approved, it would mean a total increase of £38,806 from October until the end of the financial year, in March, and an extra £77,612 for the 2025/26 financial year - this would mean a total £445,679 cost in 2025/26 for councillors’ allowances, compared to £368,075 this financial year.

The increase includes an extra £1,000 for the council’s basic allowance, an increase in the multiplier applied to the leader’s special responsibility allowance to three and an increase in the childcare and dependent carer’s allowance.

The Local Government Officer Pay Award continues to be applied to the basic allowance each year.

Allowances paid to co-opted members, non-elected members of a committee appointed to provide a specialist or outside perspective, change from £55 per meeting to £350 for the whole financial year.

In reaching these proposals, the IRP considered several factors such as inflation, the time spent by councillors on council business, and a comparison to other authorities in Suffolk and nationally.

The panel found Ipswich allowances were, on average, the lowest across all Suffolk and near neighbouring districts, at £7,203.50 and £5,816 respectively.

Nevertheless, the increases come at a time when the council is facing a £23 million budget gap over the next four years, £5.5million worse than expected at the time this year’s budget was approved, in February.

The budget pressures are also due to be discussed during Wednesday’s meeting, including a package meant to deliver between £13m and £16m in savings.