Voters will head to polling stations across Britain today to vote for councillors. But did you know the ways councillors are paid differ in England, Scotland and Wales?
Elected representatives in the three countries are all entitled to money for the work they do as a councillor. The way this works is different in England, Scotland and Wales, and within England councillors get different amounts depending on the authority they are elected to.
In England, councillors get an annual "allowance". In Wales councillors are paid "remuneration", while Scotland pays salaries to councillors.
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As well as their basic allowance or compensation, councillors can claim expenses and are usually paid more if they have more responsibility.
So, with Britain going to the polls for local elections on Thursday May 5, here's how councillors or "paid".
Do councillors get paid in Britain?
The way pay for councils works is different in England, Scotland and Wales.
England
In England, councillors are not paid a formal "salary". Instead, they are paid a basic "allowance". The amount they get varies from authority to authority. In Newcastle, where 27 of 78 council seats are being contested on May 5, councillors get an allowance of £9,200. But next door in Northumberland, councillors get £14,379 a year as an allowance.
Allowances are justified to "reimburses them for time they have spent on council duties", says Guildford Borough Council in Surrey, England. Others echo the same or similar line.
Council leaders and deputy leaders get more than the basic allowance, while those who sit on the cabinet or chair committees can get extra money too. Councillors in England are also allowed to claim reasonable expenses.
Some councils in England choose to hold their meetings in the evenings, as many councillors are assumed to have day jobs.
Scotland
In Scotland, Holyrood sets the amount councillors around the entire country are paid, which is linked to the salary public sector workers get. Currently, councillors in Scotland get basic pay £19.571 a year. As with England, council leaders and councillors with extra responsibilities can get more money.
Councillors in Scotland can join the Local Government Pension scheme and are entitled to allowances for travel and subsistence, as well as expenses.
Wales
Councillors in Wales get a basic salary of £14,368. The Welsh Government describes it as "remuneration"
The Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales (IRPW) is responsible for determining levels of remuneration of councillors both at principal and community and town council levels.
"Members with additional responsibilities, such as executive member or chair of a committee, receive higher salaries. These payments are subject to income tax," adds the Welsh Government.
It adds: "Being a councillor is a demanding and busy role. Everyone should be free and enabled to participate actively in local democracy, whatever their age, gender, income, disability or family responsibilities. "Wide and diverse involvement leads to more representative membership of local authorities and more democratic decisions. A reasonable level of payments enables anyone to participate."
