Local councillors received £699m in allowances over the past three years, according to new research from the TaxPayers' Alliance.
The study found that at least 238 councils raised the basic allowance for councillors between 2012-2015, while 208 also raised the total bill for allowances and expenses in this time.
The research shows that Waverley Council increased the basic allowance by 83% from £2,454 to £4,501, while Moray Council paid the highest basic allowance at £16,722.
Jonathan Isaby, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: ‘It goes to show that not every council has prioritised finding savings or cutting taxes over awarding local politicians above inflation allowances.
‘With the nation's finances yet to be fixed, councillors across the country will continue to have to make difficult decisions. In order for them to have the moral authority to carry out that very important job, councillors must show restraint when it comes to their own taxpayer-funded allowances and ease the burden on hard-pressed families.’
However, a spokesperson for the Local Government Association said financial support for councillors means people from all walks of life were able to take part in local politics.
‘Providing financial support ensures that local democracy does not become the preserve of the privileged few who can afford to give their time for free,’ they said.
‘Allowances are a matter for individual local authorities and are decided democratically on the advice of independent remuneration panels. Residents have the opportunity to hold their councillors to account in both the council chamber and at the ballot box if they feel they are not getting value for money.’
