Who sets the levels of MPs' pay and expenses?
On 24 May 2011, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) was made responsible for determining MPs' pay and setting the level of any increase in their salary. Since the 2010 General Election IPSA has also been responsible for the regulation and payment of expenses to Members of the House of Commons. On 8 February 2012 IPSA announced that Members’ pay would remain frozen at £65,738 for 2012/13.
Members' expenses for both Houses
Allowances by MP
In June 2009 more than a million documents and receipts were made available to the public online. These related to MPs' claims dating back to 2004/05 and up to 2010/08. These pages have been updated to include information about claims made for costs incurred when staying away from the MPs' main home in 2008/09 and the first quarter of 2009/10.
Expenses by MP
House of Commons stationery and postage paid envelope costs per Member
The House of Commons provides a cash limited sum per year for the provision of postage paid envelopes and House of Commons stationery to all Members; this sum is in addition to any costs that may be reimbursed under the IPSA expenses scheme.
Details of the spend in each category are here
The IPSA website also includes a searchable database of MPs' expenses on their website. Records of expenses date from 2010/11 onwards.
The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
Additional payments
In the Commons, some MPs are paid more because of the special jobs they hold. For example, the Speaker and the Chairs of Committees receive an extra salary.
Most MPs who are also ministers in the Government are paid an extra ministerial salary.
MPs' pensions
There is a contributory pension scheme for Members of the House of Commons to which MPs can contribute either 11.9%, 7.9% or 5.9% of their parliamentary salary.
Payments to Opposition parties
Some money is paid to those political parties represented in Parliament who are not in government. This is to help ensure that the Opposition and minority parties have enough funds to carry out their parliamentary role and to put across their views.
The amount given to each party depends on how many people voted for them at the last general election and how many of their candidates were elected. In the House of Commons this is known as 'Short Money'; in the House of Lords it is known as 'Cranborne money'.