In brief
Claim
Members of the House of Lords get £300 a day.
Conclusion
Generally, members of the Lords can claim £300 a day for attendance or choose to claim a lower rate, or not at all. They can also claim for some expenses.
“They [the Lords] get 300 quid a day.”
Camilla Tominey, 3 May 2018
Most members of the House of Lords don’t receive a salary, unless they are a minister or hold some other office.
Those who aren’t salaried may claim a daily allowance of £300 for each “qualifying day of attendance” in Westminster. They can choose to claim a reduced rate of £150 instead, or not claim at all. If they are working away from Westminster on parliamentary business they can only claim £150 a day, as well as some travel expenses.
Those paid a salary cannot claim this attendance allowance.
Attendance can include sitting in the House of Lords when formal business takes place, and attending other specific committees and meetings. There are also certain events they cannot claim attendance allowance for, like the State Opening of parliament, or speeches by visiting dignitaries.
On top of the daily allowance, members can claim expenses for some travel. Lords who are paid a salary can also claim for some expenses, for example secretarial expenses.
Expenses and allowances for unsalaried members of the Lords are not subject to tax or national insurance contributions as membership is not classified as employment.
Full disclosure: several of Full Fact’s trustees are members of the House of Lords.
This factcheck is part of a roundup of BBC Question Time. Read the roundup.
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