9.1 Travel and Subsistence claims may be made for the costs of travel, and travel-related and subsistence expenditure undertaken by an MP or others, which are necessarily incurred in the performance of the MP's parliamentary functions.

9.2 MPs may claim for Travel and Subsistence Expenditure for journeys which are necessary for the performance of their parliamentary functions, and fall into one of the following categories:

a. for MPs who are eligible for Accommodation Expenditure, journeys between any point in the constituency (or a home or office within 20 miles of their constituency boundary) and Westminster or a London Area home;

b. for MPs who are not eligible for Accommodation Expenditure, journeys between their constituency office and Westminster;

c. travel within the constituency or within 20 miles of the constituency boundary;

d. extended UK travel under paragraph 9.3; or

e. a maximum of three return journeys per year to the national Parliaments of Council of Europe member states, or institutions and agencies of the European Union.

Non-London Area MPs who choose to claim the London Area Living Payment are not eligible for Accommodation Expenditure, and cannot claim for journeys described in paragraph 9.2a. Journeys as described under paragraph 9.2b will be claimable in these circumstances. Paragraph 9.2b is not intended to allow London Area MPs to claim for their daily commute by first going into the office every day and visiting the office on the way back home. Rather it is to allow for travel claims when MPs need to travel between Westminster and the constituency office in order to conduct constituency business.

Extended UK Travel

9.3 MPs may only claim for extended UK travel if they can demonstrate that the journey undertaken was made for at least one of the following reasons:

a. a matter currently before the House;

b. a matter currently before a Select Committee on which the MP serves, for which travel funding is not provided by another source;

c. a constituent or general constituency matter; or

d. any other necessary travel for parliamentary functions for which funding is not provided by another source.

MPs should include explanatory notes when claiming for Extended UK Travel.

Journeys made as part of an MP’s duties as an Opposition Front Bench spokesperson or shadow minister may be claimable under paragraph 9.3d where funding is not available from another source.

Journeys made as part of an All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) may only be claimed where they meet the requirements of paragraph 9.3 above and the journey has been expressly and formally requested by the APPG. Extended UK travel may not be claimed for:
• journeys made on Party business;
• travel related to a delegation to an international assembly;
• journeys made on Government business;
• journeys made for the purpose of electioneering; and
• journeys for which funding is available from another source.

General conditions

9.4 Other than at paragraph 9.37 below, no claims will be payable for the cost of the MP’s daily commute to and from a place of work. This includes journeys between:

a. Westminster and an MP's residence in the London Area; or

b. an MP's constituency residence and his or her constituency office.

9.5 No claims will be payable for journeys which are undertaken for the purpose of carrying out ministerial functions, or for carrying out functions relating to an MP's role on an official delegation.

9.6 The MP should always have regard to whether any particular journey is necessary and to the most cost-effective way to undertake it. In particular, whatever means of transport is used, consideration should be given to whether potential savings to public funds could be made through the use of concessionary fares such as Oyster cards, season tickets, advance purchase or off-peak travel.

Specific conditions: public transport

9.7 For allowable journeys by public transport, MPs may buy a ticket of any class but (except where paragraph 9.8 below applies) reimbursement will be limited to the rate of an economy class ticket available at the time of booking. In the case of air travel, “economy” includes “flexible economy”.

9.8 For allowable journeys made by rail, reimbursement will be limited to the rate of an "anytime standard open" ticket for the journey prevalent at the time of the claim. 

Information on standard open fares is included in the online expenses system, which will automatically check the cost of the relevant rail journey.

MPs should consider value for money when purchasing tickets which they may need to change at short notice. In the interest of saving money for the taxpayer MPs should exercise discretion and balance low cost, generally inflexible, tickets against the probability of cancellations and the charges they will incur.

9.9 MPs travelling on sleeper train services are additionally entitled to claim for a sleeper supplement for a single occupancy berth.

Both companies which provide sleeper train services within the UK (Scotrail and First Great Western) will allow travellers to purchase a single occupancy berth as a supplement to a standard class ticket. The single occupancy berth is the same berth as would be provided with a first class ticket.

No MP is expected to share a berth and IPSA will reimburse any claim that was necessary to secure a single berth.

9.10 Where an MP obtains a railcard or season ticket which allows savings to be made on future purchases of rail tickets, reimbursement of the cost of the railcard may be claimed.

 Specific conditions: private conditions

9.11 Private cars, motorcycles or bicycles may be used as an alternative to public transport where there is a specific need or it is cost-effective to do so. An MP undertaking a journey by private transport as the driver, will be reimbursed in accordance with the rates set out in IPSA's guidance.

These rates are the standard rates set by Parliament and administered by HMRC.

9.12 Where more than one MP travels in the same car, only one of the MPs may submit a claim for the cost of each journey.

When making a claim for mileage the MP can download a spreadsheet from the IPSA website and enter the total number of miles driven each day for one month. This can then be entered as a single claim.  It is not necessary to enter a separate claim for each individual journey driven.

Cars must be registered on the online expenses system before mileage claims can be submitted.

9.13 MPs using private transport may claim reimbursement of costs necessarily incurred in relation to their journey for parking charges, congestion zone charging and road tolls. Penalty or additional charges for late payment, or civil charges for traffic, parking or other violations will not be reimbursed.

9.14 Other than in the circumstances described at paragraph 9.37 below, taxi fares will only be reimbursed from Travel and Subsistence Expenditure when a journey by taxi is necessary because:

a. no other reasonable method of transport is available for all or part of the journey; or

b. alternative methods of transport are impracticable due to pregnancy, disability, illness or injury of the MP or staff member.

Any reference to taxis in this Scheme includes any vehicle licensed by the Public Carriage Office or by the local authority. Licensed minicabs generally fall into this category.

When submitting claims for taxi journeys, MPs must include a note on the reasons why they took a taxi rather than using an alternative method of transport.

9.15 Hire cars may be used in the above circumstances where a saving to the public purse over the cost of using taxis can be demonstrated. MPs may claim for the cost of hiring the vehicle, of any fuel used, and insurance purchased.

9.16 A hire car may only be used for allowable journeys and must be used in accordance with the terms of hire. Where required, the car must be returned at the end of its hire with a full fuel tank, to avoid any penalty charges.

Travel by members of MPs’ staff

9.17 Each MP may claim for Travel and Subsistence Expenditure for his or her staff to make up to 96 single journeys each year between the MP's constituency office and Westminster. This limit is the total for all staff employed by the MP, not per staff member.

9.18 MPs may also claim for Travel and Subsistence Expenditure in respect of the following journeys made by members of their staff:

a. travel within the constituency or within 20 miles of the constituency boundary; and

b. travel elsewhere within the UK for the purposes of relevant training.

Training may include attendance at conferences on subjects that are relevant to the MP’s parliamentary functions. It does not include attendance at a party political conference or meeting.

9.19 All of the conditions at paragraphs 9.4 to 9.16 apply to travel by members of MPs' staff.

Travel by family members

9.20 Where MPs have caring responsibilities under paragraph 4.20, they may claim for journeys by the dependant in question. Such claims are limited to 30 single journeys between the MP's London Area residence and the constituency residence in each year for each dependant.

9.21 In the circumstances at paragraph 9.20, where MPs share responsibility for caring with a spouse or partner, MPs may also claim for journeys by their spouse or partner made in exercise of that responsibility. Such claims are limited to 30 single journeys per person between the MP's London Area residence and the constituency residence in each year.

9.22 Where a dependant needs assistance from a carer other than an MP’s spouse or partner while travelling on an allowable journey, the cost of the carer’s journey may also be claimed.

9.23 A “partner” is considered to be either a civil partner or cohabiting partner of the MP in question.

9.24 All of the conditions at paragraphs 9.4 to 9.16 apply to travel by MPs' families apart from paragraph 9.10 (railcards).

Subsistence expenditure for MPs

9.25 MPs may claim for Travel and Subsistence Expenditure for the cost of an overnight hotel stay where they have travelled as part of their parliamentary functions, and it would be unreasonable to return to any residence either in the London Area or their constituency.

9.26 Travel and Subsistence Expenditure may not be claimed for hotel stays in the London Area except in the circumstances at paragraph 9.37 below.

9.27 Where Travel and Subsistence Expenditure is claimed for hotel stays outside the United Kingdom, this is subject to an upper limit of £150 per night.

These will be claimed by the MP in the usual manner, but a conversion factor will be applied to convert the currency to pounds sterling.

9.28 Where Travel and Subsistence Expenditure is claimed for hotel stays inside the United Kingdom but outside the London Area, this is subject to an upper limit of £120 per night.

9.29 MPs may claim for the cost of purchasing food and non-alcoholic drinks where they have necessarily stayed overnight neither in the London Area nor their constituency. This is limited to £25 for each night.

9.30 MPs may claim reimbursement of the costs of an evening meal (excluding alcoholic drinks), when they are required to be at the House of Commons because the House is sitting beyond 7:30pm. This is limited to £15 for each night.

MPs may either choose to purchase a meal at or away from the Parliamentary Estate. Under the Section 293A of the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003, meals will be taxable if eaten away from the Parliamentary Estate. Meals eaten on the Parliamentary Estate will remain untaxed.

Subsistence expenditure for carers

9.31 Where a dependant needs assistance from a carer other than an MP’s spouse or partner while travelling on an allowable journey, the cost of the carer’s necessary overnight hotel stay and subsistence may also be claimed.

9.32 For hotel stays the following upper limits apply for each carer:

a. for hotels within the London Area, £150 per night; and

b. for hotels outside the London Area, £120 per night.

9.33 Subsistence is subject to an upper limit of £25 for each night for food and non-alcoholic drinks.

Subsistence expenditure for staff

9.34 Members may claim for the cost of an overnight hotel for a member of their staff, where the staff member has necessarily travelled in assisting the MP in his or her parliamentary functions, or is undertaking relevant training. Such claims may be made only when it would be unreasonable to return to any residence.

9.35 MPs may claim reimbursement for subsistence for their staff members if the staff member necessarily stays overnight in a hotel to assist the MP in his or her parliamentary functions, or if the staff member is undertaking training. Expenditure is limited to £25 for each night for food and non-alcoholic drinks.

9.36 For hotel stays the upper limits set out in paragraph 9.32 also apply for each staff member.

Specific provision for late working in Parliament

9.37 Where the House of Commons sits late or when MPs undertake their parliamentary functions in the House of Commons until late at night, MPs may use their discretion in claiming for reimbursement of taxi fares for journeys from the House of Commons to a London Area residence, or for the cost of an overnight stay in a hotel. Taxis will be subject to an upper limit of £80 for each such journey. Hotels will be subject to an upper limit of £150 per night.

Travel and subsistence after late working in the House of Commons may be claimed at the MP’s discretion and IPSA will not provide advice on individual circumstances. MPs may wish to have regard to the HMRC’s guidance on the tax status of claims for hotels and late-night taxis, which is available on our website.

A: DISABILITY ASSISTANCE

10.1 Disability Assistance may be claimed by any MP for necessary additional expenditure incurred in the performance of an MP's parliamentary functions which is reasonably attributable to a disability of an MP, a staff member, a job applicant or constituents visiting the office or surgery.

10.2 In addition to the expenditure for which claims may be made under other parts of this Scheme, Disability Assistance may be claimed to meet the costs of any “reasonable adjustments” required by the Equality Act 2010 including:

a. staff and associated costs;

b. IT and other specialist equipment;

c. office furniture;

d. necessary adjustments to office premises or accommodation;

e. necessary costs of securing larger office premises or accommodation; and

f. necessary additional travel costs (including for carers or support staff where necessary).

Conditions

10.3 A claim for Disability Assistance must be accompanied by a clear statement of the nature of the condition in question and the assistance required.

Claims for disability assistance can only be made for additional funding required by the MP which affects their ability to perform their parliamentary functions outside the Parliamentary Estate. There is no set limit on the amount of Disability Assistance an MP may receive; the level of allowable claims will be decided on a case by case basis.

It will not always be necessary for MPs or staff to undergo an assessment of their disability in order to determine what reasonable adjustments are required. In many cases, the individual will already understand what is needed. However, if such an assessment is required, the cost should be claimed under Disability Assistance.

MPs are recommended to seek prior approval for claims, especially if there is a large cost involved – for example, for buying specialist equipment IPSA will require an estimate of costs of the additional assistance in order to grant prior approval.

In some circumstances, particularly where a large cost is involved, IPSA may require an independent assessment of the disability to be provided.

If an MP or staff member has a temporary or minor injury which does not constitute a disability, for example a broken leg, it may be more suitable for them to claim for any required additional assistance from the Contingency Fund.

B: SECURITY ASSISTANCE

10.4 Security Assistance may be claimed for additional security measures that are necessary to enable the MP's parliamentary functions to be undertaken.

Routine security measures should be claimed from the Office Costs Expenditure or Accommodation Expenditure budget.

10.5 A claim may be made by any MP who considers that measures are necessary to safeguard the MP, or the MP's staff or equipment at any location outside the Parliamentary Estate where assistance towards the provision of such measures is not available from the House of Commons.

Conditions

10.6 IPSA will not accept a claim for Security Assistance unless:

a. it is provided with a copy of a report by a police force or security agency setting out the grounds for the proposed expenditure; and

b. it is satisfied that the MP's ability to perform the MP's parliamentary functions in safety would be significantly impaired if the claim is not accepted.

10.7 Any claim for Security Assistance should be approved in principle before any contract is entered into to incur the expenditure. The in principle claim should be accompanied with an estimate of the costs to be incurred, obtained from a reliable supplier.

The term “security agency” at 10.6a refers to the Home Office’s Office for Security and Counter Terrorism, the Cabinet Office, the House of Commons Serjeant at Arms’ office, the Parliamentary Security Coordinator or the Palace of Westminster Police. If an MP has extra security needs over and above what is set out elsewhere in the Scheme then he or she should follow the steps outlined below.

MPs who consider that they have extra security requirements should in the first instance contact the
IPSA Security Officer via email at security@parliamentarystandards.org.uk

MPs will be asked to outline briefly their reasons for the extra security and the contact details of the security agency/police advisor who has recommended this course of action. At this time IPSA will ask the security agency/police advisor for a written statement of the risks and their advice for extra support from IPSA. All police security assessments should be signed off by officers at or above the rank of Chief Inspector. IPSA will then contact the security agency/police adviser to verify the statement and if content, process the application and advise the MP.

C: INSURANCE

10.8 In addition to any insurance which is payable under Parts 4 and 9 of this Scheme, MPs may claim in respect of premium payments for the following types of insurance:

a. Employer's Liability Insurance, up to a limit of £10,000,000;

b. Public Liability Insurance, up to a limit of £5,000,000;

c. Travel Insurance, to cover travel under paragraph 9.2e.

10.9 No claim may be made under paragraph 10.8 if the MP is otherwise provided with the type of insurance in question by the House of Commons or by IPSA.

Employer’s Liability and Public Liability Insurance is provided by IPSA for the financial year 2012-13. MPs do not have to claim for it and no claims for this insurance will be paid.

D: CONTINGENCY PAYMENTS

10.10 Where an MP necessarily incurs expenditure or liability for expenditure related to the performance of the MP's parliamentary functions which is not covered by any of the budgets set out in this Scheme or, if it is covered by one or more of those budgets, it exceeds any financial limit that may apply, the MP may apply to IPSA to be reimbursed on an exceptional basis in respect of that expenditure.

10.11 IPSA may decide to accept or reject an application under paragraph 10.10 at its sole discretion, and in considering its decision shall take into account the following factors:

a. whether there are exceptional circumstances warranting additional support;

b. whether the MP could reasonably have been expected to take any action to avoid the circumstances which gave rise to the expenditure or liability; and

c. whether the MP's performance of parliamentary functions will be significantly impaired by a refusal of the claim.

To receive a contingency payment MPs must complete a request for a contingency payment which sets out the following:
• a clear description of the situation;
• a declaration that refusal of the claim will significantly affect their ability to perform their parliamentary functions and how this is the case; and
• a declaration that they could not have foreseen or prevented the expenditure or liability and how this is the case.

MPs should set out clearly the exceptional circumstance that resulted in the expenditure. If an MP runs out of funds at the end of the year when there is no exceptional reason why those funds have been exhausted, contingency funding will not be available to top up the MP’s budget. 

To ensure that their application contains all the necessary information, MPs should use the proforma available on the IPSA website.

While it is understood that claims for contingency payments will vary in nature, it is expected that MPs should seek prior approval for claims. IPSA will require an estimate of costs involved in order to grant prior approval.

Any necessary expenditure on staff redundancies will be met from the Contingency Fund; any payment in lieu of notice or holiday pay due to the staff member will be met from the MP’s staffing budget.

Temporary or Minor Injury
If an MP sustains an injury which is minor or temporary in nature and which they can demonstrate will significantly affect their ability to perform their parliamentary functions, he or she may receive necessary additional financial assistance away from the Parliamentary Estate for the period for which the injury will affect him or her. This can be claimed as a contingency payment. An example of this could be an MP who breaks his or her leg and who requires short-term additional financial assistance (away from the Parliamentary Estate). The MP must follow the normal procedure to apply for a contingency payment. The MP would also have to provide IPSA with a note from his or her GP or the House of Commons Safety Health and Wellbeing Service setting out what the injury is and for how long it is likely to affect him or her, as well as any receipts which show the additional payments made. (Please note MPs are already able to claim for some journeys by taxi due to injury as under paragraph 9.14b of the Scheme).

In cases of claims for additional assistance as a result of a temporary or minor injury, IPSA reserves the right to request a medical report if it feels the injury is more significant or permanent and therefore should be claimed though Disability Assistance.

Example of a contingency claim which is likely to be accepted
If an MP were to ask for an extrication payment to cover the costs of ending an expensive printer lease, this is likely to be accepted where the MP can show that this would present good value to the taxpayer. It may be possible to show this where the costs of continuing the lease would be greater than the cost
of ending it.

Example of a contingency claim which is likely to be rejected
If an MP were to ask for a contingency payment to cover the cost of replacing stolen contents from their constituency office this claim would be rejected. This is because the MP could have foreseen or prevented the expenditure or liability by claiming for contents insurance for their constituency office. It may be decided that the MP should have taken responsibility to ensure that the contents were insured, the cost of which was already claimable, and therefore should not receive any additional assistance.

E: RECALL OF PARLIAMENT

10.12 IPSA will, in the event of a recall of Parliament during Recess, settle claims for any reasonable travel by an MP and their spouse/partner or dependants to Westminster or an MP’s London Area residence. This includes international travel back to the UK and may include return travel to the foreign location, up to a maximum of £3,750 per MP.

If MPs necessarily incur costs above £3,750 when returning to the UK for a recall, IPSA will consider making a contingency payment for the additional amount.

F: EXPENDITURE DURING A GENERAL ELECTION

10.13 During the period between the dissolution of Parliament and the day after polling day the following restrictions will apply to claims made under this Scheme.

10.14 Accommodation Expenditure may be claimed in accordance with Chapter Four of the Scheme.

10.15 Office Costs Expenditure may be claimed for the performance of parliamentary functions only. Office equipment and supplies purchased for the performance of parliamentary functions may not be used for party political activities. An MP who intends to use his or her IPSA funded office for any activities connected with the election may only claim the proportion of the rent, utilities and other costs which relate to parliamentary activity.

10.16 Staffing Expenditure may not be claimed for any party political activity. Staff wishing to undertake party political activity must not do so during their working hours and must instead take paid or unpaid leave. If a staff member plans to take unpaid leave, the MP must notify IPSA in advance, so that pay adjustments can be made.

10.17 Travel and Subsistence Expenditure for MPs will be restricted to one single journey from Westminster to the MP’s residence or any point in his or her constituency. MPs may also claim for one single journey back to the MP’s residence or constituency for any dependant (as defined by paragraph 4.21). Staff may claim one single journey to return to their normal place of work. Staff may also claim for travel between the MP’s constituency office and Westminster in accordance with paragraph 9.17 of the Scheme. All of the conditions set out in Chapter Nine of the Scheme apply to travel during the election period.

10.18 For the six months prior to the expected dissolution of Parliament, claims for purchases of office equipment, IT and furniture under Office Costs Expenditure will not be allowed. In exceptional circumstances where such purchases are necessary, prior approval from IPSA will be required.

E: NECESSARY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

10.19 In addition to any other payments or assistance provided by this Scheme, IPSA may, in its discretion and on an individual basis, pay claims with such additional financial assistance as it deems necessary to allow them to carry out their parliamentary functions effectively.

Advances
MPs may apply for an interest-free advance of up to £4,000. This advance is to assist with cash-flow and help MPs to cover any costs they incur that are allowed under the Scheme and are exclusively in furtherance of their parliamentary functions. MPs wishing to request such advances should complete the form available on the IPSA website. MPs will be required to repay the loan by the end of the Parliament.