Provisional staffing budgets for 2026-2027
With the agreement of the Speaker’s Committee for IPSA (SCIPSA), provisional MP staffing budget information for the next financial year is now available.
These figures remain subject to the approval of IPSA’s Main Estimate and budgets in March 2026. They are provided solely to support early planning, and no decisions should be made until the final figures are confirmed.
Full guidance will be updated once the House has been presented with the final budget. The Speaker’s Committee will review the Main Estimate and full budget proposals in March, after which final budgets and pay scales will be published. To help you plan for the next financial year, we have updated the yearly staff calculator and the staff salary increase guidance.
Staffing budget
The provisional staffing budget includes a 5% overall increase. This uplift is intended to support measures such as a 3.5% cost-of-living increase for all MPs’ staff and a further 1.5% adjustment to reflect changes to pay ranges following updated benchmarking. The cost-of-living increase applies to all MPs’ staff unless an MP opts out.
If approved, the following additional measures will also be introduced:
A ring-fenced £4,000 annual budget per office for staff development and wellbeing, totalling £2.6 million across all offices.
A central £7.7 million staffing support fund to replace the current contingency process, providing targeted support to offices experiencing high workload pressures.
Following a market benchmarking review and feedback regarding workload and turnover, the following pay-related measures are proposed within the 5% uplift:
A 5% increase to the minimum and maximum of all pay ranges.
A minimum pay policy for all roles (excluding interns), ensuring no pay falls below a level equivalent to 3% above the National Living Wage.
An additional 2% increase to the minimum and maximum pay ranges for roles in the “Executive 1” and “Executive 2” job families, including Caseworkers, Communications Officers, Constituency Support staff and similar positions.
| Budget | Elgibility | 2025-26 | 2026-27 | Increase | Explanation |
| Staffing costs | London Area MPs | £281,980 | £296,080 | 5% | 3.5% automatic pay increase, plus 1.5% to account for benchmarking changes to pay ranges. |
| Non-London Area MPs | £263,370 | £276,540 | 5% | 3.5% automatic pay increase, plus 1.5% to account for benchmarking changes to pay ranges. | |
| All MPs | N/A | £4,000 | 100% | Introducing a £4,000 ring-fenced Staff Development Budget for 2026-27. |
Further information – MPs’ staff pay
All MPs’ staff – unless the MP opts out – will receive a 3.5% salary increase. If this uplift still leaves a staff member below the minimum of their pay band, IPSA’s Payroll Services team will increase their salary to the band minimum. MPs may award additional increases at their discretion.
If MPs do not opt out, the 3.5% cost-of-living uplift will be applied automatically from 1 April 2026.
Decision on the budget
In arriving at these decisions, IPSA considered several factors, including inflation and wider public-sector pay approaches, along with market benchmarking data and feedback from MPs and staff. Since the 2024 election, offices have increasingly highlighted the growing volume and complexity of casework. In reaching its decision, IPSA also took account of concerns regarding the perceived undervaluing of constituency and caseworker roles compared with parliamentary and research positions. In addition, turnover rates remain high, especially among the largest staff group - caseworkers outside London.
Alongside recent improvements to employment conditions - such as recognising past service and enhanced parental leave - these measures strengthen IPSA’s commitment to supporting MPs and improving terms and conditions for their staff.
How to opt out
MPs or proxies must email payroll@theipsa.org.uk by 25 March, listing the staff member(s) they wish to exclude from the uplift.
Budget impact of opting out
If an MP opts out for some or all staff, the remaining 5% budget uplift may be used in full for any eligible staffing costs, except mandatory range-minimum adjustments.
Updated pay bands
Revised pay bands will be published after SCIPSA considers the Main Estimate and will take effect on 1 April 2026.
FAQ
Can MPs opt out of pay ranges adjustments?
No. IPSA pay ranges are mandatory. Any staff member who falls below the new band minimum will automatically move to that minimum, regardless of whether the MP opts out of the 3.5% increase.
Can an MP award a different percentage?
Yes. MPs may award more or less than 3.5% if budget allows. This requires submitting on a contractual change form.
Can MPs apply the 3.5% increase from a later date?
Yes. The MP must opt out first, then submit a contractual change form specifying any effective date from 1 April 2026 onwards. Forms for 2026-27 pay increases should not be submitted before 1 April.