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.

It's interesting that any unspent amount will be rolled over into the next financial year.

So it's basically an additional £10,000 in expenses.

It's disgusting....10k would buy a lot of visors that I have to somehow decontaminate between patients without infecting myself and others on the ward. They already get 26k office expenses

I’m confused why MPs are getting a specific budget for home working when anyone else who is an employee has to hope their employer reimburses their expenses and/or pays them the £26 a month.

www.gov.uk/tax-relief-for-employees/working-at-home

If your employer does neither you have to submit a claim via self assessment or HMRC portal and if your expenses count you’ll get the tax back. Unless you are under the tax paying threshold in which case there is no way to get anything back.

So great for MPs whose employer is prepared to cover expenses - but everyone else forced to work at home is entirely dependant on their employer being decent and if not the lowest earners will be the ones totally out of pocket.

Has anyone’s employer told them they will cover expenses? I’ve had to buy a folding table to put my IT equipment on because it would permanently occupy the whole (tiny) dining table which the children are using for schoolwork. I can’t work in the dining room anyway due to confidentiality issues, it’s a pass through to the kitchen. I’ve also had to buy an office chair after being crippled with back pain after using a dining chair.

I realise I’m lucky to be still be employed and working, but I’m not highly paid, my food bills have rocketed with two children and no school lunches and I’m sure electricity and heating will be too. I cant afford to be buying office equipment and possibly getting 20% back. I am not saving on commuting costs either.

I feel like Oliver Twist asking for a second helping and fully expect my employer to react like the Beadle. I can’t be the only one in this situation?

Yes Iloveknockknockjokes that's the issue that's enraging people isn't it?

Other workers paid from public funds like health care staff, teachers, social workers etc etc aren't being given generous expenses accounts to help them to their work.

Not even the basics of protective equipment.

That's what is wrong about this.

We also have bought our own scrubs at our own expense......trust say they don't have any....and we have to launder them ourselves every night . What is going on? Priti Patel says she 'is sorry if I feel there is not enough PPE'.....I don't feel it I'm being told it .... A local sewing group donated me some laundry bags which I'm so grateful for.

Shortage issues are different to money issues though aren’t they? The conflation of these issues doesn’t make sense, and neither does the issue of firms not providing home working equipment mean that our MP’s office staff should be short changed. It’s all beggar my neighbour stuff.

Actually - the home working issue is directly related. It’s MP’s employer who have recognised the need for their staff be able to buy equipment. So why aren’t MPs thinking oh hang on, everyone is in this position how about making sure other employees aren’t out of pocket? It’s not beggar my neighbour it’s the very people who could make sure working people aren’t impacted saying I’m alright Jack.

@LaurieMarlow so you would have rather that they lied? And said staff would be getting phones and laptops, when some won't as they already have them? Interesting, you would have thought being honest about the financial workings would be preferable.

There is an almost unlimited budget to buy PPE, but there isn't enough to satisfy demand, not up to standard anyway. I agree it's a disgraceful situation and we should have been better prepped, but the money allocated isn't the issue.

so you would have rather that they lied?

Of course not. Dear God.

‘Laptops and phones will be provided for those who require them’

It’s the responsibility of the employer though isn’t it? Presumably firms could campaign en masse if they’ve incurred additional costs for home working.

There are tax deductions for healthcare staff for some clothes or the laundering of clothes but whether you can claim them if your hospital has a laundry service is not clear

www.gov.uk/guidance/job-expenses-for-uniforms-work-clothing-and-tools

Presumably firms could campaign en masse if they’ve incurred additional costs for home working.

Campaign to who?

I expect most are trying not to go under entirely, limit their lay offs, cut expenses where possible.

To the government (or their local mp) of course. Outwork the other financial help already set out. It is important that the government keeps functioning and MPs are needed to help provide a voice for constituents suffering hardship, id have thought their staff was especially vital in these times.

But it's more transparent to say up to £10k, and if people would have actually researched it instead of being outraged by clickbait media headlines then they would have seen what it was for anyway it's clear your mind is made up and you won't listen to what anyone else is saying, so...

Why aren't the trusts buying scrubs from the same websites they are asking us to then?

Thanks Overmy must look into it

It’s the responsibility of the employer though isn’t it? Presumably firms could campaign en masse if they’ve incurred additional costs for home working.

And if the firms refuse to cover employee expenses? What then?

I do not grudge MPs additional expenses being covered, I don’t want data leaks of parliament or constituent information due to cheaping out on technology. I would like MPs to actually think about their constituents whose employers do not have to cover expenses and do something to protect workers from this, especially low paid workers.

I know people who have had to buy laptops, I’ve seen teachers on here who have had to buy laptops, I know people who are having to buy 4G dongles, I know one person who’s employer sent them home with a laptop and a 4G dongle.

In the climate of you are lucky to have a job who is going to ask their employer if they might please sir, pay me back for this? That’s why it should be properly legislated.

You need mps with functioning staff to be able to campaign for low paid workers. Issues for constituents can’t be solved if mps themselves have support staff unable to work, I agree that this grant should be making mps ask the same question more generally but can’t be against this allowance in principle.

Teacher tech has long been a scandal hasn’t it? Our pta has had to buy teacher laptops for years due to rotten state of govt IT provision so no surprise there. Appalling.

I’m not against it either, I’ve said that very clearly.

It clearly has been looked at though, the monthly home workers allowance went up a small amount from the 5th of April and a 500% increase was made to businesses annual investment allowance until the end of the year.

None of these mean employers must cover employee expenses or pay the home working allowance.

Private businesses, in the main, have more pressing problems right now than ensuring ideal wfh conditions for their staff. Namely, keeping said staff in jobs.

To the government (or their local mp) of course.

And the governments going to shell out more money for this, is it? On top of the billions it’s already pumping in to keep salaries going?

There just isn’t the money.