Exceptional funding

Exceptional funding is available for:

• A cost or liability that is not allowed within the Funding Scheme but the MP considers to be in support of their parliamentary functions and IPSA's regulatory principles

• When spending under a particular budget has exceeded or may exceed the budget limit for the year and the MP considers this to be the result of exceptional circumstances

In deciding where to provide additional funding, IPSA may consider:

• Whether there are exceptional circumstances warranting additional support

• Whether the MP could reasonably have taken action to avoid the circumstances that led to the expenditure or liability

• Whether the MP’s performance of parliamentary functions would be significantly impaired by refusal of the funding

• Whether requests comply with IPSA’s regulatory principles including MPs' responsibility to practice good budget management

Guidance updated on April 2026.

IPSA considers requests for exceptional funding on a case-by-case basis and with regard to the circumstances.

It is unlikely exceptional funding will be granted for:

• Costs incurred as part of an MP’s or staff member’s regular parliamentary functions unless there are exceptional or unforeseen circumstances needing additional resource

• MPs who wish to 'top up' their budget at the end of the financial year without evidence of exceptional circumstances or for expenditure that they had reasonable opportunity to budget for

• Requests that do not comply with IPSA's regulatory principles

Guidance updated on April 2026.

MPs will be expected to consider IPSA’s regulatory principles before making a request for exceptional funding.

Parliamentary purpose

• Is the request for additional funding in support of your parliamentary work?

• Can this be funded from another source, e.g. House-provided resources?

• Without the funding, would there be a clear impact on your ability to carry out your role effectively?

Accountability

• Have you considered any other course of action which would avoid or reduce the cost?

• Could the cost have been foreseen with enough time to adjust other planned expenditure?

Value for money

• Is additional funding needed based on a realistic forecast for the remainder of the year?

• Have you made efforts to reduce/limit spending on this matter and in other areas (after the cost was known)?

• For higher-cost items, have you sought multiple quotes wherever possible?

• Have you considered a long-term plan to manage within the budget in future?

Integrity

• Is there any element of personal benefit for you or for someone close to you?

An MP or proxy should speak to IPSA in the first instance to discuss what is needed in terms of additional support.

Speak to your account manager for requests relating to additional accommodation, office or legal costs, and your payroll services officer for requests relating to staffing, including the staffing support fund.

If you are a staff member who is getting in touch, please speak to your MP and make sure they are happy for you to approach IPSA. They will need to sign off any requests made.

As part of discussions with IPSA, we will ask for relevant evidence and explanatory information that could include:

• Evidence of the cost incurred/expected, e.g. an invoice or quote

• Budget information showing that additional funding is likely to be required, i.e. current and forecast spend

While there is no expectation that MPs should reduce spending in other areas to make room for an unexpected cost outside their control, they are expected to demonstrate that they have attempted to cover the cost within their existing budget.

Guidance updated on April 2026.

The staffing support fund is held centrally by IPSA to provide temporary, tailored support to offices facing exceptionally high workloads, managing a particularly busy period, or backlogs, where the estimated costs of this support would exceed existing budgets.

Funding and other support will be provided according to need and tailored to each office. IPSA will consider evidence of need, value for money and an office’s plan for a more sustainable setup in the longer term.

Publication of staffing support funding

IPSA will publish all approved funding in aggregate, not broken down by office. This provides transparency for members of the public and to enable us to assess the way the fund is used by offices.

MPs remain accountable for requests and for how they use funding.

What can the fund cover?

Funding can be used flexibly to help your office manage increased demand, including:

• Additional staff resources. This includes the salary, on-costs and/or recruitment costs for hiring a staff member on fixed-term contract.

• Increased hours, overtime, or contract extensions for existing staff.

• Training and wellbeing support where the staff development budget has been exhausted.

• Reward and recognition payments for exceptional staff contributions, up to the existing limit of £1,500 per person per year, funded from the staffing support fund instead of the main budget.

• Temporary salary increases where staff take on additional responsibilities

• Bought-in services for work that cannot be delivered within existing resources

There are no lengthy application forms, hidden approval thresholds, or mandatory templates. This is to give MPs and offices flexibility to assess their own needs, particularly as the fund can support a wide range of activities.

We aim to process requests within one to two weeks, although some cases may take longer due to payroll complexities or where further discussion is needed.

Where concerns exist about office management practices contributing to the need for funding, we will discuss these with the office and may seek advice from the Members' HR service before making a decision.

The fund will not support permanent pay increases that cannot be accommodated in a future financial year, nor will it cover IT equipment.

Requesting funding for your office is simple

We will ask you to explain your office's specific circumstances and requirements, and you can consider the following:

• Your workload: How demand has changed over the last six months, one year or two years. Include casework data where relevant and explain expected future demand.

• Local pressures: Describe any constituency-specific factors that have increased workload, such as major incidents, severe weather or school closures, and provide supporting evidence where possible.

• Staffing needs: Explain what support is needed to reduce backlogs and improve resilience, such as the salary, hours or start date for a new starter. If you are awarding reward and recognition payments, please tell us the amount and how many staff will receive the payment. Consider recruitment timescales, security clearance requirements, overtime impacts and team wellbeing.

• Steps already taken: Outline what you've done to manage workloads or stay within budget, such as prioritisation or triage, and the effect of those measures.

• Your long-term plan: Tell us how you plan to manage workloads and staffing sustainably within budget in the future.

Please note:

• You do not need to have exhausted your staffing budget before applying. However, you will need to tell us how you plan to spend the remainder of your staffing budget.

• You do not need to calculate the funding required. Your Payroll Services Officer will discuss this with you.

Need advice? If you'd like to discuss your situation before submitting a funding request, contact payroll@theipsa.org.uk and arrange a conversation with the Payroll Services team.

Guidance updated on July 2026.

Contact the Members' and Members' Staff Services Team for advice on legal or insurance claims that may be covered under the range of policies or services provided by the House.

IPSA provides funding for disability assistance and reasonable adjustments through a separate process. See guidance.

Removal costs incurred by MPs when changing their accommodation or office and Welsh translation costs are automatically covered by central funding, and do not need a specific request or application. See guidance.

Staff redundancy payments resulting from MPs leaving Parliament are also covered by central funding. See guidance.