Mps Fiddling Wxpenses!

[saintpeter48]

MPs are allowed a second home yet people on benefits are not allowed a spare room ............... We're all in this together, yeh right!!!!

[Old_Geezer]

You are allowed one, you simply have to pay for the benefit.

Isn't everyone allowed more than one home ? Not that I've looked into it.

[naomi24]

You just said that on another thread, and I'll repeat what I said there. People on benefits are allowed a spare room but not at the expense of the taxpayer.

[LazyGun]

Given that MPs fufill a sort of dual role- representing their constituents and sitting in Parliament to debate issues that shape legislation that affects the Nation, they need a home both in their constituency and one close enough to Parliament.

I have no problem with them being reimbursed for a property close to Parliament, for instance - that seems fair enough.

I do have a massive issue with many of them "flipping" their main home designation, so that they can furnish and maintain properties at the taxpayers expense,or subsidise family members at the taxpayers expense, or effectively building a property portfolio and making large profits at the taxpayers expense.

There are some serious issues here; At what geographic distance does it become untenable to commute to Parliament and hence require a second home?

Personally, I think we should bite the bullet - buy or commission the building of several apartment blocks, offering good security and 2/3 bedrooms, then tell MPs they can live there where they will pay a subsidised rent, or they pay for their own accommodations entirely out of their own pocket.

[Baldric]

MP's Expenses
http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/search/questions/?q1=mp%27s+expenses&page=3
Bedroom Tax
http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/search/?q1=bedroom+tax

[naomi24]

//Personally, I think we should bite the bullet - buy or commission the building of several apartment blocks, offering good security and 2/3 bedrooms, then tell MPs they can live there where they will pay a subsidised rent, or they pay for their own accommodations entirely out of their own pocket. //

I agree, except bearing in mind they have a home elsewhere to maintain, I think they should live in an apartment block close to parliament rent free. Every businessman gets his hotels paid for - and that is all this really should amount to.

[Gromit]

Everyone is allowed a second home or a spare room.

The difference is that if you are on benefits you are discouraged from having spare capacity by being penalised and money being witheld.

MPs supposedly need 2 homes. One in their constituency and one at their place of work (London). They also claim travel expenses for commuting between them. The whole set up is an invitation to abuse. You have London MPs having second homes in Brighton paid for by the taxpayer, and you have Scottish and Northern MPs living in their constituency homes for one day a week but the taxpayer paying for that and the six days it is empty. They are pisitively encourage to participate in this charade because if they work the system they can gain financially from it.

Perhaps MP should be put up in their constituencies by someone on benefit who has a spare room?

[factor-fiction]

buy or commission the building of several apartment blocks, offering good security and 2/3 bedrooms.

I think the argument against this is one of security- such a building could become a terrorist target- but I've never really understood the objection since it would be no more of a target than the House of Commons.

I don't think MPs from any party -Labour, Tory, Liberal, SNP -would support the removal of all expenses. In fact it would probably mean only the really affluent, or thiose already living in London- could afford to serve as MPs.

[Peter Pedant]

Naomi : You just said that on another thread, and I'll repeat what I said there. People on benefits are allowed a spare room but not at the expense of the taxpayer.

as a landlord neither I not any other LL has one bed-room stock.
as for subletting... naomi you sublet a lot do you ?

Oh and by the way - this is my first post on the subject

[naomi24]

Peter, Who mentioned sub-letting? I have no idea what you're talking about.

[emmie]

rare to find one bed social housing, so you downsize to where exactly, generally and this is from the council officer i spoke with, the elderly are the ones who occupy social housing one beds, and they have to peg it to make it free for the next customer.

[jno]

People on benefits are allowed a spare room but not at the expense of the taxpayer.

Unless they're MPs, which is the point of the question.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2598145/Culture-Minister-Maria-Miller-bought-Tudor-barn-worth-1-2million-profit-taxpayer-funded-home.html

You have to sympathise with Miller - apparently she's in the position of a carer, living with a disabled mother

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2011/feb/16/maria-miller-disability-minister-benefits-reform?commentpage=2

No, hang on - mum's her childminder, along with the au pair:

http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_live_events/567881-live-webchat-with-shadow-family-minister-maria-miller-thurs-17/AllOnOnePage

and obviously you'd need a spare room for the childminder.

[whirlyhurly]

Bring back the "pre fab" dwellings.

[Zeuhl]

The 'elephant in the room' is that for many years independent bodies have rationalised that MPs should have a much higher salary.

Because that was feared by MPs as being unpopular with the electorate, there was an informal leniency built into the expenses system as compensation.

Clearly a very unsatisfactory and dishonest situation all round.

[naomi24]

jno, no comparison.