Supporting democracy – understanding our 2024-25 data

IPSA has published details of the funding provided to MPs in the 2024-25 financial year. 

You can view this information on our website and find more information in our Supporting Democracy – funding of MP parliamentary duties for 2024-25 booklet. 

Supporting trust in democracy

Since IPSA was created, we’ve regularly published information about the financial support provided to MPs to help them carry out their constituency and parliamentary duties.

This commitment to transparency is an essential part of supporting trust in democracy: it helps to provide assurance that public money is being spent and accounted for correctly.

IPSA sets strict budgets which MPs must adhere to, and MPs themselves must adhere to our regulatory principles.

Every two months we publish business costs incurred by MPs against their budgets.

On top of that, every year – in November – we publish the final total spending of all MPs against their entire budget from the previous financial year, as well as other information we have not yet published.

This includes things like the aggregated spend on travel, MPs’ salaries and staffing information.

You can view this data here.

2024 General Election

This year our Annual Publication also includes details of the support we offered to the 350 MPs and 2,023 members of staff who left their jobs after the 2024 General Election.

This includes loss-of-office payments (to MPs who stood unsuccessfully for re-election and had held office for two years continually) and winding-up payments (equivalent to four months’ salary to compensate for the time taken to close down their office).  

Business costs

IPSA only offers reimbursement for certain business costs that MPs have incurred while carrying out their parliamentary or constituency duties.

For a cost to be repaid it must be compliant with our rules and supported by evidence (for example, a receipt or invoice).

The reimbursement of business costs does not top up an MPs’ salary.

Accommodation

MPs are expected to work in two places: their constituency and in Westminster.

Therefore, IPSA pays some of the costs of work-related accommodation for MPs who live outside of London.

We only fund one property per MP, either in the constituency or in London, and we do not contribute towards MP mortgage payments.

Office and staffing

The vast majority of MPs’ expenditure – around 80%, in fact – is used to employ staff to support in the running of an MPs’ office.

Generally these are people who work in constituencies to help support local people, resolve issues and represent needs in parliament.

A proportion of MPs’ business expenditure is also used to help run constituency offices.

This is like running a small business, and MPs can ask IPSA to reimburse the cost of renting, heating and lighting their office, as well as providing it with the equipment it needs to best support its staff and the public.

Understanding our data

When viewed in totality, the amount of money used to fund the work of MPs does appear high. 

But IPSA is proud to provide this funding and help to support democracy across the UK.

Each MP represents around 70,000 people and travels between their constituency and London on an almost-weekly basis.

And our data tells us that requests for reimbursement sent to IPSA are around 99% compliant with our rules.

It is important to remember that every constituency – and every MP – is different.

Some – within London, for example – will not be eligible for IPSA-funded accommodation. Others may choose to share a constituency office. And some may travel a very short distance to Westminster, while others – in Northern Ireland or Scotland, for example – have to take multiple flights, ferries and trains every week to represent their constituents in Westminster.

And with these differences in mind, and the unique circumstances of an MPs’ role, remember you cannot place a monetary value on your own MP.

The best way to measure them is on the impact they have within your constituency and the service they provide to the people they represent. 

IPSA is proud to provide the funding to allow them to carry out this service.