Bulletin, 5 October (Annual publication, payment cards – deadline, budget and limit, break clauses, phone line closure)

This week’s bulletin contains information about:

• Annual publication

• Payment card reminder

• Proxy payment card – budget update

• Proxy payment card – single transaction limit

• Lease agreement break clauses

• Phone line closure reminder

Annual publication

On Thursday, 16 November 2023, we plan to publish figures for business costs incurred by MPs for their parliamentary duties in the 2022-23 financial year.

On Thursday, 21 September, we sent MPs an email about their annual data from this address: ipsa_online@theipsa.org.uk.

We strongly advise that you check your data and contact us as soon as possible if you think anything has been missed and to provide any comments.

For more information, visit MPs' staffing and business costs.

Payment card deadline reminder

The deadline for the August payment card spend and earlier is 8 October 2023.

All lines must be reconciled and approved by our Validation Team by 8 October to avoid your card being suspended.

If you are encountering any issues that prevent you from meeting this deadline, please let your account manager know as soon as possible.

Further details can be found in our Payment Card Policy and by visiting our guidance on reconciling your payment card.

Proxy payment card budget update

Proxies are now able to reconcile and allocate costs paid on their payment card to the Accommodation budget – we have resolved the issue that was preventing this budget from being available for proxy cardholders.

Proxies can now select all relevant cost categories within the Accommodation budget, as well as the budget itself.

If you have been allocating these accommodation costs to a different budget, please let us know so we can arrange for them to be moved to the Accommodation budget.

Please also check your MP’s publication data to ensure that costs are allocated to the correct budget.

Proxy payment card – single transaction limit

Following feedback from yesterday’s Office Managers Drop-In Session, as well as analysis of the proxy payment card spend, we are increasing the proxy payment card single transaction limit to £700 permanently.

This comes into effect Monday 9 October and will allow proxies more flexibility when using the card.

If you ever need a further uplift to this single transaction limit, proxy cardholders can request this via email to: info@theipsa.org.uk.

Lease agreement break clauses

We recommend that a two-month break clause should be included in your lease agreements for IPSA-funded Accommodations and Offices.

The break clause should be for any circumstance, as Members have left office for a number of reasons (including, but not limited to, General Elections).

A two-month break clause allows leases to be exited promptly and all final costs to be paid and claimed within the winding-up period.

MPs have the discretion to decide to enter into contracts with longer notice periods or no break clause at all.

MPs should be aware that costs outside the winding-up period will not be funded by IPSA, and that MPs may become personally liable for paying rent for any period beyond the winding-up period.

If you have questions about leases or break clauses, please contact our Homes & Offices Services Team (HOST).

Phone line closure reminder

Our phone lines will be closed tomorrow, Friday 6 October, for training.

If you have an urgent query that day, please email us and use the word 'urgent' in the subject line.

Our normal phone service will resume on Monday 9 October.