There is much misinformation about the expenses that Members of Parliament (MPs) are entitled to. I have created this webpage in the interest of transparency to try and dispel any myths that might occur.
Dean has not claimed a single penny in personal expenses since he was elected.
Since 2010, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) has been responsible for determining the level of MP pay and setting the level of any increases. Established by statute, IPSA is independent of Parliament and the Government. This means that MPs no longer set the level of salaries nor the rules. IPSA has a duty to independently review, and publicly consult on, MPs’ pay within a year of a new Parliament being formed. Following a three-year review by IPSA concluded in 2015, it was decided that changes to pay would usually take place in the following April, linked to changes in average earnings in the public sector published each year by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Budgets: MPs are allocated a budget to employ staff and competently carry out their duties. This falls into various categories:
- The Staffing Budget largely covers payroll costs but can also be used for pooled staffing services and incidental expenses for volunteers. It is paid directly to the employee via IPSA and does not go into the Member of Parliament’s own bank account. In just over two years, staff have worked on over 20,000 individual cases. My staff assist with casework, correspondence, surgeries, visits, meetings, organising events, and outreach activities.
- IPSA also covers office costs to rent, equip, and run an office and surgeries. This includes rent, stationery, telephone, broadband, and other costs that are associated with running an office and communicating with constituents.
Any over-run on these budget limits at the end of the year has to be repaid to IPSA by the MP. I have always kept within the specified limits and have not had any discrepancies with any of my expenses.