Eight Isle Of Wight Councillors Receive Over £500,000 In Allowances Over Three Years

More than half a million pounds has been paid in allowances and expenses to eight Isle of Wight councillors over a three-year period.

Figures show that Phil Jordan and Lora Peacey-Wilcox received the highest totals among the Island’s 39 ward members, with £76,134.95 and £73,559.96 respectively between April 2022 and March 2025.

They were followed by fellow Alliance councillors Ian Stephens (£67,927.31), Julie Jones-Evans (£61,999.11), Debbie Andre (£60,872.07), Jonathan Bacon (£60,223.84), Paul Fuller (£59,573.85) and Karen Lucioni (£59,401.65).

Both Cllr Peacey-Wilcox and Cllr Jordan held leadership roles at Isle of Wight Council during the period, with Cllr Peacey-Wilcox stepping down as leader in September 2023 before being succeeded by Cllr Jordan.

The council’s Scheme of Allowances provides a basic payment to all members, along with additional allowances for those with specific responsibilities such as cabinet or leadership roles. It also covers travel, subsistence and dependent carer costs.

The scheme is reviewed annually, with recommendations made by an Independent Remuneration Panel before being approved by full council.

Earlier this year, the basic allowance was increased by £676 to £10,800, in line with expected inflation.

Allowance figures for the current financial year will be published from August.

In a joint statement, the eight councillors said the figures reflect the level of responsibility attached to executive and cabinet roles, which include statutory duties in areas such as children’s services, adult social care, public health, housing and financial governance.

They added that allowances are set through an independent process and subject to approval by councillors from all political groups.

The group also said that comparing totals across different administrations provides important context, noting that previous council leadership teams received higher overall allowance totals over a longer period.