There have been various press reports concerning the £10,000 for MPs’ Office Costs Budgets.
IPSA, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority communicated the following to MPs:
“There will be an immediate increase of £10,000 to your office costs budget. This is to cover any additional costs you may incur to set up working remotely as a result of coronavirus. This extra budget will be available until March 2021.”
Karen commented:
I would like to assure everyone that the press reports about this additional money are very misleading. Firstly, not a single penny goes to MPs. The additional money has been made available so that I can ensure that my staff can work from home, making sure that they have the equipment that they need and to help MPs to raise awareness of the rules and help and support that is available, particularly for those most vulnerable and hard to reach individuals who don’t have access necessarily to all the information on the internet.
“Just like all other expenses that IPSA covers, receipts and invoices are required before any money is paid, usually directly to the supplier.
“Finally, the decisions around MPs expenses are made by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) which is independent of both Government and Parliament. IPSA decided that at this unprecedented time, all MPs needed to be able to help the large number of constituents who need our help.
“My staff have never worked harder than they have over the last few weeks and these misleading press reports are extraordinarily demoralising for them.
“This money has been made available to help MPs to help the most vulnerable in our society and I would have thought that everyone would have welcomed that.”
Rt Hon Karen Bradley MP
Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons, said: "It is wrong to characterise this extra £10,000 allocated by IPSA as MPs giving themselves additional funds. On the contrary, this money is being used to enable MPs' staff to set up home working to support distressed constituents at a time of crisis. Many MPs have seen their casework soar as a direct result of coronavirus.
“Enabling staff to work remotely is the best and the safest way for them - and the constituents they are in contact with - to communicate and work together during these difficult times. The additional budget is there to draw down on if it is needed and required - and it will have to be accounted for in the usual way."