MPs Claim Rates as Living Expenses Then Don’t Pay Councils
June 20th, 2009Via: Telegraph:
Dozens of MPs have made “phantom” claims for council tax on their parliamentary expenses – receiving thousands of pounds more than they actually paid their local authorities, Telegraph.co.uk can disclose.
Senior MPs and ministers, including Beverley Hughes, David Blunkett and Mark Tami, are accused of over-claiming for council tax on their designated second home over the past four years.
Eric Illsley, the Labour MP, is thought to have made the highest phantom claim – recouping more than £6,000 over and above his council tax bills since 2004. David Willetts and Jeremy Hunt, both shadow ministers, admitted last night that they had over-claimed on their council tax by at least £500 each.
In total, more than 50 MPs are thought to have profited from the dubious claims.
Eighteen have already privately repaid over-claimed council tax to the Commons fees office, including the Labour MPs Linda Gilroy and Michael Meacher.
Some MPs claim round figures – usually £150 or £200 a month – for council tax; others make 12 monthly claims even though their annual bills are divided into 10 instalments.
Until last year, Parliament only required receipts for expenses of more than £250 per month so many MPs did not bother submitting council tax bills before making claims.
When the rules were changed to require documentation, several MPs reduced their claims and were not questioned over previous council tax payments they had received.
I wonder if the police are in the same lodges as the MP’s?
I have come up with a phrase which is growing memetically but probably deserves to go international. We call this Good Old Fashioned British Buttrape, alternatively Authentic British Buttrape, Authentic Corporate Buttrape, Official Governmental Buttrape etc.