CUMBRIA county councillors claimed over £1million in allowances and expenses last year.

The total receipts for the authority’s 84 councillors were pub-lished this week by the authority, which has to find over £60million of savings over the next two years.

It showed £1,056,869 was claimed by councillors in 2012/13, just under one per cent less than the £1,066,248 claimed the year before.

Travel, food and drink claims amounted to £123,850 – down 2.7per cent.

County councillors can claim a basic yearly allowance of £8,030, and other high-ranking members get additional allowances for special responsibilities.

The authority says it has taken steps to reduce costs – freezing the totals, and agreeing changes to cut around £40,000 from next year’s bill.

Labour’s Coun Stewart Young who now leads the Labour-Lib Dem administration, told the Gazette that allowances were necessary if the chamber was to attract a wide range of people, rather than just the wealthy.

And the council’s deputy leader, Windermere Lib Dem Coun Jo Stephenson, recently hit back at criticism of council allowances.

Writing in the Gazette, Coun Stephenson explained he had put aside his career as a solicitor to take up the number two post and could expect to claim only some £20,000, despite responsibility for a £750million budget.

Coun Robert Betton, an independent, said the system was unlikely to change under the three main parties. Last year, the self-employed furniture restorer claimed a basic £8,030 plus £75.70 in travel and subsistence.This year, he also turned down the offer of a small rise.

Coun Betton said: “I take the train to meetings in Kendal and it costs around £15, rather than 43p-a-mile, which adds up. I do what I can to save money.

“It used to be a privilege, and an honour to serve as a councillor. There were no expenses or pay – you did it out of the goodness of your heart.”

Meanwhile, a council tax camp- aigner, from Swarthmoor, has forced an ‘internal review’ at the council about its refusal to disclose, even via a Freedom of Information request, the pay-off agreed for its former chief executive Jill Stannard.

Lorry driver Steve Atkinson represents the Is It Fair? group which campaigns against council tax and has bombarded the authority with emails asking how much Mrs Stannard, 55, received after she took early retirement in May.

The authority has said it would only disclose the amount in its 2013-14 accounts – published next summer. However, it has now agreed to an internal review, led by a senior manager, to look at how it responded to Mr Atkinson’s request.

This week, the authority an-nounced it plans to appoint interim chief executive Diane Wood as its new permanent boss. She will have to wait until September for formal confirmation and is likely to be paid £140,000 – £30,000 less than Mrs Stannard.

l In North Yorkshire which has 74 councillors, the allowances total was £644,598, with £72,055 in expenses.Leader John Weighell claimed £32,223.