MPs to get £2,500 pay rise from April, taking basic pay to £82k

MPs have received a pay rise. (UK Parliament)
MPs have received a pay rise. (UK Parliament)

MPs are set to be given a pay rise of 3.1% from April this year - an increase of nearly £2,500 to their salaries.

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) has announced that the increase will raise MPs basic pay from £79,468 to £81,932 and will be effective from April 1.

Members of Parliament sit during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London. (Photo by House of Commons/PA Images via Getty Images)
The pay increase is automatic and not subject to a vote in the House of Commons. (Getty)

The rise of 3.1% is somewhat higher than the 1.8% inflation rate.

IPSA interim chair Richard Lloyd said: "Our review of MPs' staffing budgets in 2019 found demands on MPs' offices were high, with staff doing difficult and stressful casework with constituents on a very wide range of problems.

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"There was often high staff turnover, with salary levels below comparable roles elsewhere, based on independent benchmarked evidence.”

He added: "In many MPs' offices, relatively little time or money was spent on staff training, wellbeing and development.

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"As a result, we have provided additional funding in MPs' 2020-21 staffing budgets for staff training and welfare, security, and changes to the salary bands and job descriptions for MPs' staff to bring them into line with the jobs they actually do."

House of Commons and Palace of Westminster next to Thames river in London.
A review of MPs' staffing budgets in 2019 found demands on MPs' offices were high, with staff doing difficult and stressful casework. (Getty)

The rise follows a decision confirmed in 2018 by IPSA to adjust the pay of MPs at the same rate as public sector earnings, which are published by the Office of National Statistics.

The pay increase is automatic and not subject to a vote in the House of Commons.

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