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Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA)

Last updated 1 April 2012

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"IPSA was created by the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009 and was tasked with bringing independent oversight and control over MPs’ expenses. IPSA put in place new rules which are a clean break from the past. IPSA operates transparently by regularly publishing details of MPs’ expense claims."

Updates:

1 April 2012:
For the situation on staff salaries from 1 April 2012 you need to look at IPSA's 'Annual Review of the MPs' Scheme of Business Costs and Expenses'. This is available as a PDF on IPSA's website by clicking here. The key section on salaries for staff will be found on page 78, paragraph 2.18. It reads:
'IPSA has not made any change to the salary ranges for 2012/13. The current ranges were based on independently assessed market rates for the various roles.'
It is worth reading the whole section on Job Descriptions and Salaries which begins on page 77.
10 May 2011:
Just in case you haven't seen it, take a look at the smart new IPSA website. at the same address but has had a makeover: www.parliamentarystandards.org.uk/.
7 April 2011:
In all the debate currently raging about interns, you may find the following useful from IPSA. The sections below are from IPSA’s latest Guidance Note to MPs: Staffing Expenditure and Employment of Staff (April 2011): http://www.ipsa-home.org.uk/docs/Guidance note to MPs.pdf

Interns

7. Members employing Interns must ensure:

- ‘Intern’ is within the job title on the contract and job description

- The job description submitted is suitable for an intern, having less accountability than the IPSA model job descriptions

- The intern is paid at least minimum wage, which as of 1st October 2010 is £3.64 for ages 16-17, £4.92 for ages 18-20 and £5.93 for ages 21 and over

8. IPSA has issued a ‘Model Volunteer Intern Agreement’ for Members who are not employing their interns, but are paying their expenses. Expenses incurred by interns will be reimbursed directly to them upon receipts through the online expenses system. The Member will need to submit a registration form to IPSA along with the Agreement.

Apprentices

9. The salaries of apprentices employed by an MP after 7 May 2010 will be paid by IPSA provided that the following conditions are satisfied:

a. the apprentice is employed on terms that meet the standards of the National Apprenticeship Scheme; and

b. the terms of the employment and the Job Description has been provided to IPSA.

For all other purposes under the Scheme, apprentices will be regarded at MPs staff.

There was also a section (Question 34: Are there any further changes needed to the rule on the payment of interns? Should a rule be introduced for apprenticeships?) in the Annual Review of MPs' Expenses Scheme 2011. on pages 99-100.

1 April 2011:
In recent years the salary scales for MPs' Staff have been increased annually from 1 April each year. This is NOT the case this year. Whilst the salaries budget has been increased, the salary ranges remain unchanged. More information here.
30 March 2011:
It seems that some of you are having problems downloading the PDF 'Annual Review of MPs' Expenses Scheme 2011' which sets out IPSA's response to the consultation. We have it available for you here. It is 1.8MB.
25 March 2011:
IPSA has today launched the updated MPs' expenses scheme. The information is now available, linked from the IPSA home page; click on 'The Expenses Rules' and and then you get two options – the current scheme or the scheme which will be introduced on 1 April 2011. There's also a press release on their 'News' page here: www.ipsa-home.org.uk/LatestNews.html. You can view some media reports here.
2 March 2011:
The latest bulletin from IPSA (number 31) mentions the Scheme Review and says: "Thank you to everyone who responded to the consultation on the MPs’ Expenses Scheme. We are analysing the responses and making preparations for the publication of our report on the consultation. We will publish the outcome of the consultation towards the end of this month. As with previous consultations, and as set out in the consultation document, we will publish the submissions we received unless they were submitted with a request that they are withheld, or published anonymously."
Well worth keeping a regular eye on the IPSA bulletins. You can see them all, linked one from bottom in the list on the left of this page: www.ipsa-home.org.uk/InfoForMpsandStaff.html.
5 January 2011:
IPSA has launched a public consultation asking for views on the rules governing MPs’ expenses. Visit their page on the Annual Review for more information and details on how to send them your views.
The consultation period runs from 5 January to 11 February 2011. Please ensure that you send your response before the closing date as responses received after 11 February may not be considered.
More information is also available on this W4MP page.
4 November 2010:
Same message as a month ago. IPSA are onto Bulletin No. 22 now which was emailed out yesterday. There is usually a bit of a time lag between it being emailed out and it appearing on their website. So, if you want to keep up - ask them to email it to you. See how to do this in 2 Sept entry below.
4 October 2010:
Are you keeping up with IPSA's MP Bulletins? Latest one is no. 17, emailed out on 1 October. See below for details on signing up for bulletins to be emailed to you.
2 September 2010:
IPSA have started sending their MP Bulletins directly to staff. This will save you having to check the IPSA website every day for the latest info. If you let them know what email address you want it sent to they’ll add you to the list. You just need to request this via email to info@parliamentarystandards.org.uk. You can give them any email address, parliamentary or otherwise; the bulletins are freely available on the website so it can be any address. [See the item below for where you can find the MP Bulletin on the IPSA website]
15 August 2010:
IPSA have been busy issuing bulletins - just in case you hadn't noticed. The latest one - Number 11 - was issued on Thursday 12 August. worth keeping a regular eye on them as they are full of snippets of information which you need to know. Go to their main page, click on 'Information for MPs and Staff', scroll down to 'Communication to MPs' and then scroll down to the bulletin you want.
12 July 2010:
IPSA have released Bulletins 6 (2 July) and 7 (8 July). Follow the route described below (30 June entry).
We understand that IPSA will be publishing the responses to their consultations - and their conclusions - "in a couple of weeks". Watch this space.
Have you attended an IPSA training session for MPs' Staff yet? Future dates of sessions are in the bulletins.
30 June 2010:
Are you keeping an eye on IPSA's 'MP Bulletin'? The latest one is number 5, dated 23 June, and can be seen here. The longer route is via the IPSA main page, click on 'Information for MPs and Staff', then on 'Communication for MPs' and select the bulletin you want to read. We understand that Bulletin No. 6 is imminent.
23 June 2010:
IPSA are currently consulting on the following three areas;
1. amendments to the expenses scheme;
2. proposals on publication; and on
3. the compliance officer's processes.
They welcome your views on these, with a deadline for comments of Wednesday 7 July 2010. Please go to www.ipsa-home.org.uk/consultation_intro.html to download full information on the three headings above or email them at info@parliamentarystandards.org.uk to request a hard copy. The consultation was launched on 16 June.
9 June 2010:
IPSA have today sent a letter to all MPs with an update on staffing budgets, constituency office rental and employment of interns. Of particular interest will be the commitment to honour the contractual arrangements of all staff employed before 7 May, including salaries. If any existing member of staff has a contractual arrangement that falls outside the IPSA model contracts and pay ranges then MPs should notify IPSA of this exception by 30 June. For more information, including details of what evidence MPs must provide to IPSA on staffing requirements, please click here to read the letter.
8 June 2010:
IPSA have updated their website with a range of FAQs on a variety of subjects. They have also provided a range of forms for MPs to use in employment of staff, for example notification of exceptions from the scheme, new starter, and amendment to salary forms. The website also includes the MP bulletins, sent to all MPs over the last couple of weeks with a range of information, for example on staff training.
The IPSA website also includes information on financial help for MPs in the first few months – this can be found on the ‘Information for MPs and staff’ page under ‘help with cashflow’.
27 May 2010:
IPSA has put in place a programme of support to help you become familiar with the new expenses rules and the online expenses system. From early June until mid-July, IPSA is running a series of half-day training sessions for staff. Click here to see the letter which includes dates of the training sessions.

IPSA has developed a number of presentations as step-by-step guides to specific parts of the system, including registering different needs and claiming for specific expenses. You can view the presentations by clicking here. We particularly recommend that staff booked to attend a training session take a few minutes to view these presentations beforehand.

Please note – IPSA have had some comments from MPs and staff using Parliament computers that they are having trouble viewing the most recent version of the IPSA site. Please contact PICT and ask them to clear your computer’s cache, which should resolve this problem. Alternatively, if you are looking for a particular document and cannot see it on the site, please email the information team on info@parliamentarystandards.org.uk and ask for a copy to be emailed to you.
6 May 2010:
IPSA have just published a lot of new information relating to Staffing Expenditure and Employment of Staff. This includes salary scales, model job descriptions and contracts. You can access the information by going via the main IPSA website or click here: www.ipsa-home.org.uk/InfoForMpsandStaff.html.
1 April 2010:
IPSA have asked us to display a letter to Members, from their Interim Chief Executive, Andrew McDonald, dated 22 March 2010. Click here to view it: www.w4mp.org/html/ipsa/IPSA_letter_100322.pdf.
30 March 2010:
As a result of an FoI request by a Westminster staffer we finally have the report of the IPSA meeting with Members' Staff on 8 February 2010. This is something we have been asking for, without success, since 8 February. You can view it here: www.w4mp.org/html/ipsa/20100330_reportmtg.asp.
29 March 2010:
IPSA to announce new expenses scheme today - The Speaker is due to lay the new scheme before parliament on Monday 29 March and details will be available on the IPSA website: www.parliamentarystandards.org.uk/.
If you haven't read Sir Ian Kennedy's speech last week, you can do so here: www.ippr.org.uk/uploadedFiles/events/2008/IanKennedyippr22Mar2010.pdf. This was delivered at ippr on Monday 22 March 2010
The responses to IPSA's consultation are here http://mpexpensesconsultation.org.uk/responses/, in case you missed them.
Also from today, IPSA's contact details have changed, as follows: IPSA, 7th floor, Portland House, Bressenden Place, London SW1E 5BH. Email address for general enquiries: info@parliamentarystandards.org.uk. The IPSA helpline number remains 020 3334 3999.
24 March 2010:
Sharing of personal information and administration of salaries between Commons admin and IPSA - joint letter and briefing for Members from Bob Castle (DR) and Philip Lloyd (IPSA). Important information for MPs' staff included. Click here to read letter and briefing note (PDF).
18 March 2010:
Provision of services by the House administration following establishment of IPSA - letter for all Members and MPs' staff from Andrew Walker (Director of Resources) with more information about how the operation of the House’s services will be affected by the establishment of IPSA. Click here to read letter and briefing note (PDF).
16 March 2010:
Staff Pensions scheme - House of Commons Commission agrees with IPSA that the House Service will continue to administer the Portcullis Pension Plan, including making it available to new members of Members' staff, subject to review when IPSA takes on some responsibility for Members' pensions. Click here for Hansard report.
3 March 2010:
letter outlining division of responsibility between the House service and IPSA before and after the election.
15 February 2010:
IPSA have announced that its permanent offices will be located on the seventh floor at Portland House, Bressenden Place, London, SW1. They can be contacted via email at: info@ipsa.gsi.gov.uk
or call the IPSA helpline on 020 3334 3999.
12 February 2010:
letter to Staff from Sir Ian Kennedy on the issue of staff pension arrangements.
9 February 2010:
brief report of the meeting on 8 February 2010.
29 January 2010:
notice of the IPSA meeting for MPs' Staff to be held on Monday 8 February 2010.
8 January 2010:
link to the IPSA consultation document.

For further insights into the workings of IPSA have a look at http://www.parliamentarystandards.org.uk/. This site includes news updates, a list of IPSA publications to date, FAQs, current vacancies at IPSA and contact details.

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