Is it fair for MPs to claim expenses for their children?
George Osborne and Ed Miliband among 148 MPs claiming money for their younger families
THE Parliamentary pay watchdog is allowing almost 150 MPs to claim expenses associated with their children's accommodation and travel.
Chancellor George Osborne was among 148 MPs – with 300 children between them – who registered their "dependants" so they could claim more cash, according to the Daily Telegraph.
The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa), which monitors MPs' pay and expenses, has said that the arrangements are within the rules. But critics have nevertheless labelled the expenses as "unfair".
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
It is thought that nine ministers, as well as senior Labour figures Ed Miliband, Ed Balls and Yvette Cooper, were among those who made claims in order to rent larger family-friendly properties or pay for their children's travel. The allowances come as MPs look likely to receive a £10,000 pay rise.
Many MPs, who have a basic wage of £66,000, insist they should be compensated for the costs because they are required to have two homes.
Since 2010, MPs have reportedly claimed almost £140,000 for their children's travel. They can also claim up to £2,425 for each child who 'routinely resides' with them. However, more than 90 MPs are believed to have claimed above the accommodation cap of £20,000 a year.
Laura Perkins, a barrister who confronted Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg on his LBC radio phone-in show about benefit changes, told the Telegraph: "At a time when the finances for ordinary families are so tight, they need to think long and hard about whether what they are doing is fair. Every other family is having to meet expenses out of their ordinary salary."
Matthew Sinclair, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "Expenses are there to cover extra costs, not subsidise luxury apartments at taxpayers' expense."
But Caron Lindsay, co-editor of Liberal Democrat Voice, has said the expenses are "worth paying". She argued that removing these allowances might reduce the variety of MPs in Parliament, putting off parents with young children from standing. "On this one, I'd say leave them alone."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - April 20, 2024
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - papal ideas, high-powered debates, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 sleeper hit cartoons about Trump's struggles to stay awake in court
Cartoons Artists take on courtroom tranquility, war on wokeness, and more
By The Week US Published
-
The true story of Feud: Capote vs. The Swans
In depth The writer's fall from grace with his high-flying socialite friends in 1960s Manhattan is captured in a new Disney+ series
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
Will Aukus pact survive a second Trump presidency?
Today's Big Question US, UK and Australia seek to expand 'game-changer' defence partnership ahead of Republican's possible return to White House
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
It's the economy, Sunak: has 'Rishession' halted Tory fightback?
Today's Big Question PM's pledge to deliver economic growth is 'in tatters' as stagnation and falling living standards threaten Tory election wipeout
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Why your local council may be going bust
The Explainer Across England, local councils are suffering from grave financial problems
By The Week UK Published
-
Rishi Sunak and the right-wing press: heading for divorce?
Talking Point The Telegraph launches 'assault' on PM just as many Tory MPs are contemplating losing their seats
By Keumars Afifi-Sabet, The Week UK Published
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?
Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Rwanda plan is less a deterrent and more a bluff'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By The Week UK Published
-
How the biggest election year in history might play out
The Explainer Votes in world's biggest democracies, as well as its most 'despotic' and 'stressed' countries, face threats of violence and suppression
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Good democracies include their poorest citizens. The UK excludes them'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By The Week UK Published