Attendance allowance (political)

An attendance allowance is a per diem payment made (most typically, though not exclusively) to public representatives to cover the costs they incur in attending an assembly away from home.

In some district assemblies, the amount may include an element for loss of earnings that the representative might otherwise have achieved in their normal work.

In principle, the allowance should reflect the distance that the representative must travel and in particular whether overnight accommodation will be needed.

Given the risk that the payment might be seen as "representatives lining their pockets at the taxpayers' expense", some jurisdictions prefer to reimburse only those costs that are supported by receipts attached to an itemised travel and subsistence claim.

See also

• Travel and subsistence