A new system of financial support for Members came into effect from 1 October 2010. Most Members of the House of Lords do not receive a salary in respect of their parliamentary duties but may be entitled to financial support arising out of these duties.
Daily allowance
Members of the House of Lords, who are not paid a salary, may claim a daily allowance of £300 (or may elect to claim a reduced daily allowance of £150) per sitting day - but only if they attend a sitting of the House and/or committee proceedings.
Members of the Lords do not pay tax on their allowances.
See Guide to Financial Support for Members 2013 (
PDF 1.52 MB)
Some Members of the Lords receive a salary because of the offices they hold.
- The Lord Speaker, the Chairman of Committees, and the Principal Deputy Chairman - paid from the House of Lords budget.
- Government ministers - paid by the relevant Government departments.
Members who receive a salary are not entitled to claim the additional allowances based on attendance.
Financial assistance for Opposition parties
The two Opposition parties and the office of the Convenor of the Crossbench Peers in the House of Lords receive financial assistance for their parliamentary business.
Known as 'Cranborne money', the amounts payable are uprated annually in line with the retail prices index and are subject to independent audit.
The rates payable for the 2012-13 financial year are as follows:
- £540,898 for Labour from 1 April 2012 – 31 March 2013
- £69,477 for the office of the Convenor of the Crossbench Peers from 1 Apr 2012 – 31 Mar 2013.