MPs use children to claim more expenses

Almost 150s MPs have been given permission to claim expenses on behalf of their children, the parliamentary regulator has disclosed as it prepares to offer politicians a £10,000 pay rise.

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) has given the MPs special dispensation to claim higher expenses to rent bigger properties and to pay for their children’s travel.

The rules were relaxed in 2011 following lobbying from MPs who can now claim thousands of pounds extra for each child they register with the expenses regulator.

At least nine Government ministers have registered to benefit, Ipsa has disclosed. Some MPs have made more than £10,000 on the scheme. Such a perk would not be available in the private sector and will add to the debate over the pay and perks packages of MPs.

Laura Perrins, a barrister turned stay-at-home mother who confronted Nick Clegg live on the radio over the Coalition’s benefit change, said it was unfair that MPs were getting a pay rise.

"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,” she said.

“Every other family is having to meet expenses out of their ordinary salary and MPs need to act responsibly when it comes to claiming these types of expenses.”

Sir Ian Kennedy, the chief executive of Ipsa, will give a speech tomorrow in which he is expected to suggest that MPs are underpaid. Although he will not set out specific proposals, it is understood that the regulator will recommend MPs are awarded a £10,000 pay rise after the next election.

The proposal has been condemned by party leaders. David Cameron has said that such a pay rise would be “unthinkable”. However, as Ipsa is an independent body, set up in the wake of the expenses scandal, the Prime Minister is wary of being seen to overrule its decisions and has instead called for a cap on the overall cost of Westminster.

The pay recommendation will also cast renewed scrutiny on the wider package of MP perks, including their expenses and generous final salary pension scheme.

Many MPs insist that the necessity to have two bases means that they must be compensated for the costs associated with their children.

However, critics say it is “unfair” for MPs to receive this money when they have removed support for other families earning similar amounts. Last year the Coalition stopped child benefit for families with a parent earning more than £60,000. An MP’s basic wage is £66,000.

Under freedom of information laws, Ipsa has disclosed that a total of 148 MPs, with 300 children between them, have formally registered their “dependants” so they can claim expenses associated with their accommodation and travel.

Members of the Government including George Osborne, Danny Alexander and Maria Miller are all registered, as are senior Labour figures including Ed Miliband, Ed Balls and Yvette Cooper.

Since 2010, MPs have claimed almost £140,000 for their children’s travel.

Accommodation allowance rules were relaxed following claims from MPs that their family lives were being undermined by the expenses regime. Ipsa allows MPs to increase the maximum allowance they can claim by £2,425 for each child they say “routinely resides” with them.

Since 2010, MPs have claimed more than £160,000 above the cap for accommodation. Analysis of expense claims shows that more than 90 MPs have been allowed to claim more than the cap for second homes of up to about £20,000 annually. While most MPs are understood to have rented family-friendly properties, others appear to be renting flats.

Greg Barker, the energy minister, claimed £23,904 between 2011 and 2012, when the cap was £19,900. He rented a two-bedroom flat in central London before moving to another flat nearby.

Mr Barker divorced from his wife after coming out as a homosexual. His three children are understood to live with her in his Bexhill and Battle constituency, where he originally claimed expenses on a home with a rent of £697 a month.

The rule change on claims for children was introduced in April 2011. Two months later, Mr Barker “flipped” to start claiming on the London flat. His rental claims tripled to £2,150 a month. Mr Barker said: “All of the claims were pre-approved by Ipsa and fully comply with the Ipsa rules.”

Between 2011 and 2012, Nigel Adams, the Tory MP for Selby and Ainsty, claimed £26,144. Mr Adams has four children and claims 70 per cent of the extra allowance for each of them. He said: “My children routinely stay with me in London. All my claims are transparent, published and within the rules.”

Chris Ruane, the Labour MP for the Vale of Clwyd, claims £1,906 a month for his London flat. He has two children and his eldest daughter turned 18 in November. He also owns a flat about three minutes’ walk away. Mr Ruane said: “I have acted completely within the rules.”

The biggest travel claimant was Mary Creagh, the Labour MP for Wakefield, who has two children and claimed £4,061 in one year, mostly on rail tickets.

Telegraph - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/new.../MPs-use-children-to-claim-more-expenses.html

 

DANNY Alexander, who receives £135,000-a-year for being an Inverness MP and chief secretary to the Treasury, has claimed just over £8500 for travel expenses for his children.

The revelation comes this week as the Westminster Coalition government brought in changes to the welfare system with a cap on the amount of benefits people can receive.

The cap, trialled in four London boroughs, will be rolled out across the country — proposing no out-of-work household should have a benefits income of more that £26,000-a-year (£500 a week for families, £350 for single people), which the government says is the average household income of working families.

Mr Alexander has been able to claim just over £8500 since April 2011 in rail and flight expenses for his dependants, for travel between London and Inverness, according to figures released by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa).

He is one of more than nine government ministers and 148 MPs to register their dependants with Ipsa so they can claim such expenses.

He received £5260.99 for 2011/2012 and £3243.97 in 2012/2013 with no expenses yet submitted for this financial year.

MPs also have the right to an extra allowance to rent bigger properties to accommodate their children but Mr Alexander has not claimed on this.

Many MPs argue having two bases means they must be compensated for the costs associated with their children.

Sean Robertson, of the Highlands No To Bedroom Tax campaign, has been quick to criticise Mr Alexander claiming the MP is out of touch with the needs of his constituents.

“He is living in a bubble,” he said. “He has the cheek to claim for travel for his kids at a time when he is taking money from poor people.

“It is outrageous that someone can say that we should be cutting benefits for people on the lowest incomes in the country and themselves be able to claim expenses for their children and a second home.

“There are people whose children have to share rooms, whereas he can claim for a spare house,” he added.

Mr Alexander told The Inverness Courier earlier this month he would turn down the Ipsa recommended increase in MPs’ basic salaries, from £66,000 to a proposed £74,000-a-year, after the 2015 election.

This week the MP said he always strived to make sure his work was “financially prudent” and travel was a necessary expense in doing his job.

“All MPs have an obligation to make sure that public funds are used efficiently and effectively,” he explained.

“That is why I am always looking for the most cost-effective way of ensuring I am able to do the best job possible for my constituents. “Travel to and from London and within the Highlands is vital to doing my job well and Ipsa allows limited travel for family members too.

“All information on parliamentary expenses are available to the public, and it is right that all decisions are taken by a wholly independent body so that people can have full confidence that the system is not open to abuse.”

Highland councillor Ken Gowns (Inverness South), on a wage of just over £16,000 a year, said taxpayers were getting a raw deal funding trips for MPs’ wives and children when they are having their own allowances cut.

“At the end of the day, a lot of people work away from home and do not get that expense, so why should taxpayers fund their travel up and down the country?” he said.

Inverness West councillor Allan Duffy added it was a “kick in the teeth” to Mr Alexander’s constituents and he should be ashamed of claiming the money back.

A Taxpayer Scotland spokesman said MPs’ expenditure was under close scrutiny and taxpayers had every right to feel aggrieved at how their money was being used.

“The benefits of working at Westminster really do stick in your throat,” he added.

http://www.inverness-courier.co.uk/News/MP-claims-8500-in-expenses-for-his-children-19072013.htm

 

Are they taken the piss? Really? Seriously these people should be revomed from office today. Come on people take to the streets. Lets show them that we are the 99 per cent and will not tolerate this.