MP hotels and subsistence

IPSA provides funding for the cost of an overnight hotel stay where they have travelled as part of their parliamentary activities and it would be unreasonable to return to any residence either in the London area or their constituency.

MPs may group together a number of nights during a single stay and request funding for the full amount if the average per night does not exceed the limit.

MPs may request funding for the cost of purchasing food and non-alcoholic drinks (subsistence) where they have stayed overnight outside the London area and their constituency including Europe.

Late night working on parliamentary matters

Funding is provided for MPs working after 10pm on parliamentary matters to cover the costs of a taxi to their London accommodation or for an overnight stay in a hotel.

Funding is subject to the nightly cost limit for hotels in London.

Evidence required for funding requests

You must retain and submit with funding requests the required evidence such as invoices or receipts to show the journey, dates and costs.

Find more information using the IPSA funding handbook.

Guidance updated on April 2026.

MPs may not request funding for hotel stays in the London area under travel and subsistence except when they have been working after 10pm on parliamentary matters. MPs who use hotels as their parliamentary accommodation should request funding for these using their accommodation budget.

Alcoholic drinks will not be funded under any circumstances.

Guidance updated on April 2026.

To meet our regulatory principles of parliamentary purpose and integrity, the main reason for the stay must have a parliamentary purpose and should not provide any personal advantage. The best value for money option must be selected.

Hotel costs are requested under accommodation and are subject to nightly cost limits.

• When staying in a hotel in Europe, you can request funding up to £210 per night.

• When staying in the London area, you can request funding up to £230 per night.

• For hotel stays inside the UK but outside the London area, you can request funding up to £165 per night.

Where you are unable to find suitable accommodation with the funding limit, you will need to evidence that you made a reasonable effort to find a hotel within the limit beyond the Travel Office and your usual accommodation provider by providing screenshots of your search.

The limit for subsistence is £35 for each night an MP has stayed away but the funding can cover purchases made during the day.

Guidance updated on April 2026.

An MP has been invited to attend an event outside of their constituency to meet with other MPs and stakeholders on a policy area of shared interest they have been working on legislation for. The event runs into the evening, it is a significant distance from the MP’s constituency and London, and there is limited public transport for the MP to be able to travel back to either their constituency or London accommodation that night. The MP has also calculated that paying for a taxi or hire car is more expensive than the one-night hotel stay. The MP would like to request funding for a one-night hotel stay and subsistence.

The MP can demonstrate that their attendance at the event had a clear parliamentary purpose. By considering the costs of alternative options, they can also show that a funding request does represent value for money compared to the alternatives. The MP can therefore request funding for up to the nightly hotel limit and subsistence.

An MP has been attending an event where they are speaking in a personal capacity to their political party. The event is being held a significant distance away from the MP’s constituency and London accommodation, and runs late into the evening. The MP would like to request funding for a one-night hotel stay and subsistence, returning to their constituency the following day.

The event is not for a parliamentary purpose but for party political reasons and is of personal gain to the MP. Therefore funding cannot be requested.

If MPs have been working after 10pm on parliamentary matters, IPSA would provide funding for a taxi fare to their London area accommodation or for an overnight stay in a hotel.

MPs who request funding for a hotel stay may also request funding for a taxi fare to the hotel.

Funding is subject to the nightly funding limits for hotels in London.

If in exceptional circumstances MPs are unable to find a hotel within the limit, they may request funding for the additional amount provided they are able to evidence their search to show there was no suitable hotel room within the limit available.

Guidance updated on April 2026.

Is the main and underlying reason for this journey only for parliamentary purposes?

Could this be seen as a personal journey with a parliamentary purpose ‘bolted on’ to allow it to be funded?

Is the hotel selected the best value for money option?

Contract the Parliamentary Travel Office.

See guidance on family, carer and dependant travel funding.

If you are unsure how activities or spending aligns with IPSA's regulatory principles, contact your account manager or payroll officer.