
Many of us have had to transition to the work-from-home-lifestyle, but if you’re lucky enough to be an MP, you can now claim an additional £10,000 for office costs to ease the strain.
The £10,000 allowance comes on top of the existing office budget of about £26,000 a year per MP, leaving them with £36,000 in total. Just to put that in perspective, that’s more than ten thousand pounds more than a radiographer, occupational therapist or – paramedic’s – entire starting salary.
So what can you get for £10,000? How about, two Apple iMac Pro desktop computers, three of these office-block ready high-performance printers, or ten ergonomic office chairs.
MPs have staff who will also need to cover the costs of working from home, so it does make sense that they'd need equipment to do so.
But that hasn't stopped some people from complaining about elected representatives being given this new allowance at a time when public services are struggling with the coronavirus crisis.
For example, we already know about the widespread reports of shortages of PPE (personal protective equipment) for NHS staff to protect them from catching coronavirus. PPE includes masks, gloves, face-shields and protective outer-wear. Though the government has said there is enough of this "precious resource" to go around, staff on the front line say it's not getting to them.
So unsurprisingly, given that the NHS is in short supply of equipment, many think that this £10,000 allowance is over the top.
MPs offered an extra £10,000 each to work from home, coming as a great comfort to nurses wearing bin bags to protec… https://t.co/3vShz6nqzI— Have I Got News For You (@Have I Got News For You) 1586434171
Millions living in poverty. Millions now having to work from home on reduced incomes. Millions risking their lives… https://t.co/p3XIgfMtrf— Jon Jones (@Jon Jones) 1586424601
Now a Change.org petition calling for “A rejection of the MP’s £10000 coronavirus ‘working from home’ allowance” has gained over 180,000 signatures.
The petition, which was created by Lucy Pearson, requests that:
Parliament discuss this allowance and identify whether the funds could be put to better use (eg PPE for frontline NHS workers.)
Many are pointing out the disconnect between Matt Hancock claiming that now is not the time to be talking about nurses salaries, but apparently it is the time to be increasing MP’s expenses budgets (although that's clearly different from a salary).
“Now is not the time to discuss pay rise for nurses” Matt Hancock 5th April 2020. Meanwhile MPs given £10000 extra… https://t.co/xSVVVLiWnY— Kirsty Hill (@Kirsty Hill) 1586433026
People are also wondering what the extra £10,000 could be used for, given many MP’s already have an office budget.
Hold the phone! 10 grand? Why does it cost £10000 to set up a home office? Lots of them already have this or at le… https://t.co/FdvK7f9bE8— Clive Hallam 🇪🇺🇬🇧Proud European 💉💉💉 (@Clive Hallam 🇪🇺🇬🇧Proud European 💉💉💉) 1586453113
Some MPs publicly defended allowance the increase.
Just to reassure people: - MPs aren't being 'given £10,000 extra each' - There is a contingency budget for office… https://t.co/VdvD368iIh— Wes Streeting MP (@Wes Streeting MP) 1586430930
@haveigotnews This is very irresponsible. The money is not for me, but to spend on WFH. My staff are working incred… https://t.co/3RlfYB3WRX— Virendra Sharma MP (@Virendra Sharma MP) 1586450597
In case you’re hearing rumours of “MPs given an extra £10,000 to work from home”. Its bollocks. (ℹ️: The Parliam… https://t.co/Zqe99676AG— George Freeman MP (@George Freeman MP) 1586445106
The thing is, it's very unlikely that individual MPs would be abe to personally donate the cash to the NHS – that would probably be expenses fraud...
But this whole debacle does expose a conflict between how people feel like frontline workers are being treated compared to politicians, which doesn't feel like it'll end well.