Sue...
Are you on executive allowance or did you transpose the numbers.
You are a pensioner so am I. I did not pay into a pension scheme for the same reason as yourself, luckily my husband did.
You work as a councillor and have done for a long time no doubt claiming your allowances and expenses I suppose. I work 16 hours, sometimes more when we are shorthanded, a week as a volunteer in the shop that helps to keep Riverside open.
If you can't eat before your meeting you could do the same as I do and take a sandwich with you. We do not get our meals provided, in common with most work places as I said before, and we are volunteers.
This rather puts things into perspective I think.
You do not have to be a councillor and I do not have to be a volunteer we do it because we choose to.