Funding for staffing

IPSA provides funding for staffing to support MPs in their parliamentary work both in their constituency and Westminster.

Funding from the staffing budget can be used to meet:

• Staff salaries, employers’ contributions to National insurance and employers’ contributions to pension scheme

• Overtime payments to the extent they are specified in staff terms and conditions

• Payments for childcare vouchers for staff, cycle-to-work schemes or other payments by way of salary sacrifice

• Reward and recognition payments except where the employee is a connected party

• Costs associated with apprenticeships that meet the standards of the National Apprenticeship Service

• Incidental expenses of volunteers

• Payments for pooled staffing that provide research, briefing and drafting services to groups of MPs, and have an arrangement in place with IPSA

• Bought-in services where specialist services are required from companies or individuals not on the payroll

• Staff training costs (when these cannot be funded through the staff development budget)

• One-off health and welfare costs associated with provision of staffing support such as eye tests and occupational health assessments, and support for staff wellbeing (where these cannot be funded through the staff development budget)

Guidance updated on April 2026.

IPSA will not pay the salaries and other costs of any new employees who are connected parties. We will continue to fund salaries of staff members who are connected parties but were employed by the MP before 9 June 2017.

Funding cannot be used to pay the salaries and other costs of any new employees who are connected parties and are employed on or after 9 June 2017.

If a staff member is not a connected party when they are employed but becomes a connected party at a later date, IPSA will only pay their salaries and other costs for a period of 24 months after the point of which they become a connected party.

MPs must inform IPSA as soon as a staff member becomes a connected party.

See more guidance on connected parties.

To make a declaration, complete the connected party declaration form.

Staff employed after 7 May 2010

The salaries of staff employed by MPs after 7 May 2010 will only be paid by IPSA if the following conditions are satisfied:

• The member of staff is employed to do work that complies with one or more of the job descriptions published by IPSA.

• The member of staff’s salary is within the relevant range published by IPSA for the job description in question.

• A contract of employment that complies with the model contract of employment published by IPSA from time to time has been signed by the relevant parties.

• The member of staff meets any applicable vetting requirements.

Once the conditions set out above have been fulfilled (or IPSA is satisfied that they will be fulfilled), IPSA may pay the salaries of MPs’ staff with effect from the commencement of the staff members’ employment.

Staff employed before 7 May 2010

Staff already employed by an MP before 7 May 2010 may remain on job descriptions, salaries and contracts that do not conform to the conditions set out above, provided they remain employed by the same MP.

Apprentices

The salaries of apprentices employed by an MP after 7 May 2010 will be paid by IPSA provided that the apprentice is employed on terms that meet the standards of the National Apprenticeship Scheme.

Employed interns

The salaries of employed interns engaged by an MP after 7 May 2010 will be paid by IPSA provided that the employment conditions comply with the requirements of National Minimum Wage legislation.

Guidance updated on April 2026.

MPs must consider IPSA's regulatory principles when considering the use of funding from the staffing budget.

Parliamentary purpose

MPs must only request funding for costs they or their staff have incurred as a result of their parliamentary work.

Staff salaries and associated costs must only be paid for work relating to the MP’s parliamentary duty and not to support any electoral campaigning or in support of a political party or outside organisation.

Value for money

When accessing funding through the staff budget, MPs and proxies are expected to demonstrate good financial management to ensure they can meet their objectives within the budgets provided by IPSA.

Where there is an exceptional case, IPSA may provide additional or exceptional funding.

Integrity

No IPSA funding can be used for the employment of connected parties unless those individuals were already employed on 8 June 2017.

MPs should also ensure their decisions regarding the employment of staff is not aimed at providing a financial or material benefit for themselves, their family, friends, political associates or other connected individuals.

Accountability

MPs are accountable for their use of IPSA funding including funding requested by IPSA proxies and staff members. MPs should ensure they have read and understood IPSA’s regulatory standards and guidance when making funding decisions.

MPs must also accept their responsibilities as employers, adhering to good employment practices and seeking expert advice as needed. IPSA cannot provide any advice or guidance on HR matters.

The Members’ HR team at the House should be the first point of contact for MPs when making any employment decisions of HR changes. For more guidance, please call Members HR on 020 7219 2080 or 020 7219 4140 or email membershr@parliament.uk.

The MP alone is the employer of their staff so while day-to-day management of the office can be taken by others as delegated by the MP, the MP themselves remains liable for any employment practices undertaken.

If you are unsure, please contact your payroll services officer.

The yearly salary calculator allows offices to forecast the staffing budget expenditure.

It is commonly used when the staff modelling (budget) report is unavailable until the new financial year.

Yearly salary calculator

Throughout the year, it can be used alongside the staff modelling report to check whether there are any variations to the original forecast.

MPs and payroll proxies can use the MP team report or MP team report - proxy access to check their current staff’s salaries and enter them into the calculator to conduct an annual overview of the total costs charged to the staffing budget.

Open the yearly salary calculator.

The payroll cut-off dates for 2025-26 are outlined below.

Cut-off refers to the deadline for the submission and approval of:

• timesheets

• new starter documents

• leaver documents

• salary changes