Haringey Borough Councillors have been labelled “delusional” after they approved a pay increase for themselves.

At a special meeting of the council’s standards committee on Tuesday, councillors approved recommendations to give themselves a rise in allowances.

There is a 6.6 per cent increase for councillors who have special responsibilities and hold roles such as committee chairs, members of the cabinet or council leader.

The basic allowance which all councillors receive was also increased from £10,500 to £10,703, a rise of 1.9 per cent, with payments for special responsibilities added to that figure.

The total pay for the council leader increased to £44,293 and pay for cabinet members and the leader of the opposition rose to £35,894.

The pay rises come two months after councillors approved budget cuts of £70 million, including a £24 million reduction in funding for care for the elderly and disabled over the next five years.

Tottenham resident and activist Martin Ball said: “'These significant increases are in contrast to the budget cuts imposed on many services in February and prove that there is no willingness to share the pain of balancing the books of austerity.

“If the elite of Haringey's councillors believe they are deserving of 6.6 per cent 'pay increases' then they are delusional both about the reality for many residents and the value of their contribution.”

Legislation introduced in April last year ended the right for elected councillors to enter the Local Government Pension Scheme.

The council says it would have spent around £48,000 on councillor pension contributions but has instead put that money into allowances instead to balance the loss.

A Haringey Council spokesman said: “These changes will result in no net increase in spending on members’ allowances, which are below or in line with national guidance and have been frozen since April 2011.

“National changes set out by the Government last year ended the right of councillors to enter the local government pension scheme.

“Money that would have been spent by the council on pension contributions has instead been reflected in allowances.”

The recommendations for the pay adjustments were made by a panel commissioned by London Councils, a group that works on behalf of all 32 London councils.

A full list of the approved remuneration packages can be found here.