MPS WORKING FROM HOME DURING LOCKDOWN CHARGE TAXPAYERS FOR THE EXTRA GAS AND ELECTRICITY THEY USE –WHILE MOST WORKERS ARE FORCED TO PAY THEIR OWN WAYLabour MP for Preston, Sir Mark Hendrick, claimed £126 for electricity and fuel in April and May for 'home working' due to the pandemic. The MP for Chesterfield, Labour's Toby Perkins, justified a £345 electricity bill claim in September by saying that it had 'increased March onwards whilst working from home'
MPs claimed £9.1 million in expenses despite largely working from home during the first 2020 lockdown, compared to £8.2million in 2019. And yet, 3 million self employed have received no financial support from the government since the Covid crisis began.
Between the stay at home order announced on March 16 and pubs reopening on July 4, the travel bill for MPs and their staff dropped by 78 per cent - from £1.8million to £412,000, an analysis shows. But claims for heating and electricity rose, with MPs charging £48,723 for April last year - the sunniest on record - representing a rise of around one per cent from April 2019, the Sunday Times reports. While lockdowns mean more workers staying home during the day, sparking higher energy bills, campaigners have claimed it is one rule for ordinary workers and another for MPs, as few major companies have offered to pay back they employees' increased remote working bills, reports say.
The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) says that MPs are allowed to claim for additional energy bills, classed as 'office costs'. They can charge taxpayers for utility bills for their main residence and constituency office as long as the claims 'relate to parliamentary activity'.
Source:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9181001/MPs-working-home-lockdown-charge-taxpayers-extra-gas-electricity.html
