Wealden District Council > Transparency, Spending and Performance > Pay, Pensions and Benefits

Pay, Pensions and Benefits

Overall pay and benefits for staff are set by a group of Elected Members called the Personnel Committee, and this includes those earning over £50,000. For all officer jobs, the roles are evaluated by comparing the content of each job using the Hay Job Evaluation system which uses an internationally recognised set of job standards. Once the jobs are set at a particular grade those grades are then benchmarked each year against other national and local pay rates before confirming specific salaries. Factors taken into account when setting salaries and benefits for particular roles are issues such as the difficulty of recruiting to that role and the experience and qualifications of the candidate.

The remuneration package is made up of a salary, the opportunity to opt into the local government pension scheme and in some cases a car allowance where use of a vehicle is essential to the job role.

The Regulations governing the pension scheme are set nationally. Employee pension contributions have increased in recent years and are currently set at between 5.5% and 12.5% of salary (the more you earn the more you contribute). This employee contribution is matched by an employer contribution which also varies and is currently 17.95%. The Pension Fund is managed by East Sussex County Council.

The council’s expenses policy applies to all staff and covers things such as reimbursement for 50% of professional fees and travel expenses.

Pay Policy

In accordance with the Localism Act 2011 the Council is required to prepare a pay policy statement by 31 March each financial year for agreement by Full Council.

Pay Multiple

The Council’s ‘pay multiple’ is published below. The breakdown used for the calculation is the median salary across the council relative to the highest salary (including allowances and benefits).

Senior Staff Salaries

Details of pay and benefits of Senior Staff, in accordance with the Accounts and Audit Regulations, by financial year is shown below. These figures include salary, allowances, benefits in kind and the employer’s pension contribution.  For the actual salary bands applicable please use the files above.