Bulletin, 13 October 2022 (MP absence funding, leaflets, reward and recognition payments and publication)

Welcome back from conference recess.

Monday was World Mental Health Day with a focus on making mental health and wellbeing for all a global priority.

Our website includes guidance on the funding available for training, health, welfare and wellbeing.

If you are unsure if your activity is claimable, please check with us before you book. This was a topic discussed at the recent MP Staff User Group.

Thanks to everyone who takes the time to give us your feedback in the MP Staff User Group and Officer Managers meeting. If you want to join the MP Staff User Group you can register here.

This week's bulletin contains information on:

• MP Parental Leave and Absence budget

• Leaflets and constituent communications

• Reward and recognition payments

• Business costs publication: 17 November 2022

MP Parental Leave and Absence budget

We have an MP Parental Leave and Absence budget to support MPs if they are absent for reasons including parental leave and sickness.

Our policy explains the support available to you including additional funding, access to an extra payment card and having a single point of contact at IPSA to ensure you receive the support you need.

You can find the MP Parental Leave and Absence budget policy here. For further information, and to access the funding, please speak to your Account Manager.

We'd like to get your feedback to ensure the absence funding we provide is suitable for your needs, is easy to access, and is well communicated across MP offices. We would also really value feedback from Office Managers on the support available. Please take a few moments to give us your feedback below. There is an option in the survey to give us your details and make comments.

Take the survey.

Leaflets and constituent communications

We have received a lot of queries in recent weeks about printing and distributing leaflets to constituents regarding the cost-of-living crisis and sources of support. We understand MPs will want to communicate with their constituents on this important issue, and generally speaking, this is allowable under the Scheme.

As with all IPSA-funded activity, these communications must be parliamentary in nature and must not be done on behalf of the government or a political party, or contain party political messaging. There is a particular risk which MPs and staff should bear in mind that communications, especially about a politically charged issue, can be interpreted as party or campaigning leaflets by members of the public.

Examples of cost-of-living leaflets we have approved

Information about what the MP and their office can help with, including ways to get in touch and/or surgery details.

Practical advice for constituents on how to seek support – for example, how to check to make sure they are in receipt of all benefits/support payments they are entitled to.

Signposting to local agencies and charities who can offer support.

Examples of content which is not allowable

Content which serves primarily to highlight and promote government policy – for example, a recap of measures announced by the government.

Content which places the blame for the cost-of-living crisis on another party.

Please consider carefully the purpose of a leaflet you would like to produce and avoid content which could be considered party political or explicitly self-promotional. You do not need to send a draft to IPSA beforehand, but if you are unsure, please get in touch with your Account Manager.

As a reminder, IPSA does not provide funding relating to newsletters. There is guidance on our website covering adverts and other publications:

Reward and recognition payments

The current financial year is now halfway through and this is an opportunity to review budgets including staffing costs, in light of the cost of living pressures being faced across the country. Pay and reward issues are for MPs to decide, within the IPSA salary ranges, but the following information may be useful.

The staffing budget enables you to award staff reward and recognition payments, provide paid overtime rather than time off in lieu or increase salaries within the set job bands. For the period of this financial year, IPSA will suspend the 2% cap rule which restricts the proportion of your budget that can be used for Reward & Recognition payments. The cap on individual Reward & Recognition payments remains.

Business costs publication: 17 November 2022

On Thursday 17 November we are due to publish all claims, paid, repaid and unpaid, processed in the period from February to July 2022. This is also the date we will publish the annual data for the 2021-22 financial year. This brings us back in line with our normal schedule for data publication.

Next week we will email all MPs directly with an updated version of the annual publication data to review before it is published on 17 November.

If you have any queries, please contact us.