Committee publication · Correspondence · 23 March 2026
Letter from IPSA on Reward and Recognition Payments, dated 30 January 2026
From: Committee on Standards
Summary
Karen Walker, IPSA's Chief Executive, outlines the independent authority's position on reward and recognition payments to MPs' staff. The current cap is £1,000 per staff member annually, funded from individual MPs' staffing budgets. IPSA believes MPs should retain discretion as employers on whether and how to make such payments, provided budgets allow.
Key findings
- Reward and recognition payments were introduced in 2011–12 with a current annual cap of £1,000 per staff member
- IPSA consulted on the current limit in autumn 2025, with a Board decision expected before the new financial year
- IPSA considers circumstances cited by Unite—heavy workloads, tight deadlines, complex casework—as reasonable grounds for such payments
- Casework volumes remain significantly elevated and cases are becoming increasingly complex, according to feedback from MPs and staff
- IPSA will process reward payments where MPs have sufficient budget; guidance is available from the Members' HR team
Tone
ProceduralTopics
parliamentary-standardsstaff-payemployment
Key actors
Karen Walker, Alberto Costa, IPSA (Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority), Unite, Members' HR team
Notable line
“… we believe it is right that individual MPs as employers have the scope and flexibility to decide whether and how to make reward and recognition payments to their staff.”
Key Quotes
“… we believe it is right that individual MPs as employers have the scope and flexibility to decide whether and how to make reward and recognition payments to their staff.”
“… the circumstances outlined by Unite in their email of 26 January 2026 – such as where staff have been managing heavy workloads, working to tight deadlines, and dealing with complex casework - seem reasonable and in line with the intention of reward and recognition generally.”
“Feedback from MPs and their staff to IPSA indicates that casework volumes remain significantly elevated and that cases are becoming increasingly complex.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗