AIBU to think this £10,000 for each MP is just plain wrong

[LuluJakey1]

MPs are each entitled to a £10,000 additional payment because they are working from home.

AIBU to think that in these times of financial distress and worry for millions, this is a totally unnecessary payment and should immediately be stopped?

Jeremy Corbyn has apparently refused the money and asked that his be donated to the NHS.

Don’t MPs get things like £25 for each meal when staying outside their constituency? And travel expenses too?

Could this be a sneaky way to make up for those expenses?

Why do MPs need to buy staff laptops? Do they have PCs at their offices? Most companies give laptops now.

Don't let the facts (that it's not a payment, that it has to be claimed, that they need to provide receipts, that it's to enable staff to work at home) get in the way of a wee rant about the system and how some people are paid.

I know lockdown is getting to all of us, but come on. Stop with the silly, inaccurate frothing.

How many more threads on this are there going to be?

OP, I suggest you read up on it then come on here and apologise for being a massive idiot.

@Calmdowndeary Nope. I have read up on it. It incenses me. The rules have been relaxed on the evidence they have to submit. They all have ICT equipment in their constituency offices. Local Authorities are also giving them £10,000 to help them with offices and costs during closures- offices that they already have £26,000 to pay for.

I am sure many ordinary struggling citizens in this pandemic could do with access to £20,000 to help them pay expenses. Particularly £20,000 that does not have to be paid back. So, no I won't be apologising.

However, I recognise I am doing what drives me mad when others do it- asking AIBU and when told I am being unreasonable saying IANBU. So on that note I am off for a large gin and tonic and some crisps.

Yeah but they're not getting ten grand in their pockets at all, and your whole rant is obviously bollocks. It's only for actual expenditure on equipment necessary for staff to work.

Schrodinger's Magic Money tree. It exists and It doesn't exist. The uncertainty is localised on one of two ways depending on who looks at it: Mps;
PM if she needs £1bn for Northern Ireland; and
Brexit planning and preparation, including a start up ferry company.

All good.

PPE for HCPs and many other needs......

Do you know for a fact that every single mp’s office in the country has enough IT equipment for each staff which is moveable and set up for remote working? They might have clunky desktops which aren’t easily transported or similar. They might need decent office chairs for home with back supports etc. I understand you have knowledge of one particular constituency but it doesn’t mean they all have sufficient iPads and laptops across the entire U.K. Absolutely agree it’s very cheeky to claim if not needed, but surely you can’t know for sure what the requirements are for every single MP office?

I'm in agreement with you op.

Yeah they will say its for equipment, of course they will. It's to make their staffs lives easier at home. Make their lives easier at home.

How often has it come back that expenses have paid for chauffeur driven cars, food, carrier bags or even gardening? Yeah they say it doesn't happen anymore and wont happen on this. Can we really trust them on that? I don't trust them to spend the money on that alone.

It’s not additional payment it’s for work laptops / phones / maybe desks for people who will be working at home for the long term. If they don’t buy it they don’t claim it.

Another thread

It is not for each MP.

Read some news articles FGS!

Perhaps somewhat of a tin ear by Westminster, even if essential for Parliamentary operations. Especially given the events with some MPs and NHS officials around visiting holiday homes, visiting parents to drop things off when neighbours have been doing so.......

My husband and I are working from home. Maybe we couldnhave 10k each!?

I don't know of a single teacher whose ICT equipment they use at home is provided by school.

I think we've got crossed wires here, that's not what I meant. Although I do know some schools who issue laptops which teachers can take home. I meant I don't know any teacher who has been required to buy a laptop and printer for their home in order to do their job, either before or during covid. Of course many people do have these at home, teacher or otherwise, and can use it to work from home if they so wish. Rather than staying late in school. It's what I do!

If any teacher has been told they must buy a laptop and printer because of corona, I would love to know, as would the unions I imagine.

I agree, if the story is true. They like to give themselves pay rises.

They can claim up to £10k, but with a business case which will be scrutinised outlining why they require it. A lot of MP's staff are low paid, and the money is to assist in ensuring that they have the tools to work from home. The equipment would likely remain the property of the government rather than the worker being able to keep it. I am not saying it's right as businesses have had to fork out themselves or cut staff, but it's not a cheque for £10k to the MP themselves. And they have more than assistants working for them.

If Jeremy Corbyn donates his anywhere he'll end up in court but it makes a nice headline, eh?
It's not his for a start. And it's a maximum not a goal. And isn't it on the expenses credit cards?

Media are winding you up brilliantly, OP.

And, no, I dont vote Conservative.

@HollyGoLoudly1 I never said they had.

@Scarletoharaseyebrows I never said Jeremy Corbyn had done that, I said he had 'asked'.

I wish people would RTFT.

I did. All of it.
Read full newspaper articles and then do a bit of sensible research.

I work for an MP.

As an office we have a budget which pays for rent, bills, equipment, etc. The budget has been upped by £10k. It isn’t £10k cash, it is incase my boss needs to buy anything we need to enable us to work from home, which none of us ever usually do. We are now all working from home.

I do not have a work laptop, iPad, or phone. We do have a home laptop but DH (who started WFH a week before me) was already using it.

We have two office laptops and four staff. The two office laptops have gone home with staff (including me) other two staff are using their own. I am using my personal phone and landline for calls.

I am getting no extra pay for working from home (rightly) my boss is getting no extra pay (rightly). IPSA gave simply said that if they need to buy anything then they have more flexibility.

I am currently working a lot more than my contracted part time hours and am getting more abuse than ever (and I have worked in politics for a LONG time).

Oh, and I have NO idea what this £10k from LAs is? I haven’t heard about this at all.
So each MPs office (paid for by IPSA) is now also getting money from the Council?
The LA in which my MP represents has four MPs. They’re all getting £10k?
Can you elaborate on this at all?

everything this! Sense!

It makes much more sense to say, "we've upped everyone's limit. Don't use it unless you need it" than have every little request run past people who have better things to do right now.

But that doesn't make enraging headlines!

Hallelujah @Everythingsr0sie am getting mightily fucked off with the myriad of threads like this one that have no idea how IPSA work, how constituency offices are set up, how there is an increasing need from constituents and a need to deliver surgeries in different fashions. All of which need infrastructure support. Some people on here can't see beyond the end of their noses in terms of critical thinking with regard to tabloid headlines or tweets

Blimey, @Everythingsr0sie, don't let facts get in the way of a bit of tabloid rubbish!!

The best thing is, most people who complain about MPs office costs contact their MPs offices and except them to be responded to swiftly and coherently - but then expect them not to have office costs

I hope you're not applying fact and logic to this thread @Everythingsr0sie. Thank you by the way, as you say, people expect prompt correspondence etc but begrudge any support for MP assistants etc; our local one helped my DB immesurably a few years back, you do great work.