Committee publication · Correspondence · 23 March 2026
Letter from IPSA on Reward and Recognition Payments, dated 13/2/26
From: Committee on Standards
Summary
IPSA's Chief Executive confirms that MPs have discretion to award reward and recognition payments to staff from their existing budget. The letter clarifies that IPSA supports such payments as a means to acknowledge staff contributions and address cost-of-living pressures, while noting MPs should consider individual performance and conduct when determining amounts.
Key findings
- MPs retain discretion over whether and how to make reward and recognition payments to staff, provided they remain within budget allocations
- IPSA endorses the rationale for such payments: acknowledging demanding workloads, tight deadlines, and staff going beyond contracted duties
- MPs may choose to award higher payments to lower-paid staff to help address cost-of-living pressures
- IPSA recommends MPs consider individual performance and conduct when determining payment amounts to ensure appropriate recognition
Tone
FactualTopics
parliamentary-standardsstaff-remunerationmp-expenses
Key actors
Karen Walker, Alberto Costa, Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA), Unite
Notable line
“IPSA's intent is that these payments help to ensure that staff feel valued and appreciated.”
Key Quotes
“MPs have the discretion to determine how and if they choose to make reward and recognition payments to their staff, provided they can be funded within the budget provided.”
“Unite's summary on the purpose of these payments - acknowledging the demanding workloads, tight deadlines, and sustained pressure faced by MPs' staff, who frequently go beyond their contracted duties in support of the MP and their constituents - is fair and reasonable.”
“An MP may choose to award higher payments to lower ‑ paid staff to help address cost ‑ of ‑ living pressures. However, they may also want to consider individual performance and conduct to ensure the payments appropriately recognise all those who have earned them.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗