Constituency mileage pilot
During the 2019-20 financial year we piloted a new approach to reimbursing MPs for the mileage costs they incur travelling around their constituencies.
The pilot helps us explore how the claiming process can be made less burdensome.
In 2019 we invited a small number of MPs who have historically incurred costs of around £500 per year for constituency mileage to receive a one-off lump sum allowance of £500. This allowance replaces their ability to make individual within-constituency mileage claims.
We are currently evaluating whether this should be made an option for all MPs, and while we do this, the MPs who have so far participated have been allowed to continue with the pilot if they wish.
About the pilot
Under the Scheme of MPs' Staffing and Business Costs, MPs can be reimbursed for the costs of mileage which they incur travelling around their constituencies to meetings, events, surgeries and other parliamentary functions.
We know from data of MPs’ claims collected since 2010 that most MPs claim a fairly low amount of constituency mileage, with the majority claiming £500 or less each financial year.
These claims are predictable and of low financial risk. Making individual claims for constituency mileage can be burdensome. Likewise, the costs of administering the claims do not necessarily provide value for money.
The pilot system allows MPs to receive a one-off lump sum allowance of £500 for the cost of mileage for "within constituency" journeys.
The pilot ran between 1 April 2019 and 31 March 2020. The MPs who participated in the first year were given the option to continue to do so for the 2020-21 financial year.
When participating, MPs are not eligible to claim any additional reimbursement for constituency mileage costs. These MPs will continue to be able to claim for other journey types. We will publish the payment received by the participants at the end of the financial year.
Participants in the 2019-20 financial year have been asked for feedback, which will be considered as part of a full evaluation of the pilot. Depending on the outcome of this initial evaluation, we will then seek the views of the public in a consultation about whether this approach should be continued and rolled out to other MPs.
Participants
The MPs who participated in the 2020-21 constituency mileage pilot were:
Andrew Gwynne
Chris Bryant
Graham Stuart
Hywel Williams
Iain Stewart
John Stevenson
Jonathan Djanogly
Philippa Whitford
Toby Perkins