Respond to our consultation on staffing in an MPs’ office
On Tuesday, we held the first of our two online engagement sessions. The next session will take place on Monday, 20 October, from 14:00-15:00.
We want to hear your views on our longer-term plan to introduce a competency-based pay and career progression framework designed for you and everyone working in an MP’s office.
MPs’ staffing and career progression consultation
In the last few years, we have worked with the Unite and GMB unions and groups such as the Members’ and Peers’ Staff Association (MAPSA) and the Wellness Working Group to seek feedback and this helped us develop proposals aimed at improving the working lives of MPs’ staff.
The current consultation builds on this work, focusing on professionalising the career pathway for MPs’ staff, supporting MPs to meet good employment standards, and optimising value for money for taxpayers.
The aim is to:
Create a career progression and funding framework that supports and encourages good employment practices.
Help employers place staff at the right point on pay ranges and provide opportunities for career and pay progression.
Give staff a career ladder they can use internally and to showcase their skills when moving roles.
Support better recruitment and retention of MPs’ staff.
You can consider the following questions as you are thinking about how to respond to the consultation:
What is holding you or your office back, and why?
How are you developing people and skills in your office?
Have we missed anything in our proposals?
What impact would these proposals have on your office?
Are there new or emerging job roles not reflected in current titles?
What else could improve the staff experience?
The deadline to respond to the consultation is 31 October.
FAQ
Please note that these are proposals being presented as part of the consultation. We are seeking your views, and no decisions have been made at this stage. The final outcome will depend on the feedback we receive.
Any changes introduced following consultation will only apply to new roles, existing staff contracts will remain unchanged.
As the employer, MPs can continue to set or change contract terms if they choose to with agreement of the staff member.
When will IPSA announce staffing budgets for 2026-27?
We expect to confirm staffing budgets for 2026–27 in early 2026.
As part of the process, the Speaker’s Committee for IPSA (SCIPSA) will consider our Main Estimate, alongside the full budget recommendations. At that point, we’ll be able to announce the final budgets, alongside the updated pay scales.
Are there changes planned for job descriptions?
Yes. We plan to review existing job descriptions to make them more focused on staff growth and development. We have had feedback from staff that the items used in the job descriptions are not currently reflective of the activities of an MPs’ staff member.
We are also seeking views on whether there should be a reduction in the number of job titles available to be used.
Any changes to job descriptions will only apply to new starters - changes cannot be made to existing job descriptions without discussion and agreement between MP and the staff member.
What changes are being proposed to pay structures?
We are proposing changes to the current pay structures to reduce the variation between existing pay bands. The aim is to make pay fairer and more consistent for everyone working in an MP’s office.
One key change is the proposed introduction of a minimum pay policy for substantive roles, which could be set at a certain percentage above the National Living Wage.
We’re also suggesting a default full-time working week of 37.5 hours (FTE) for new starters. However, MPs would still have the flexibility to adjust this if needed to suit the needs of their office.
If someone is already on a 40-hour contract, will that change following your proposals?
No. This change will only apply to new roles and existing staff contracts will remain unchanged.
As the employer, MPs can continue to set or change contract terms if they choose to.
What is being proposed for the staff development budget?
We’re proposing a new, separate staff development budget to support areas such as training, health, and wellbeing. This is one of the proposals included in the consultation and will depend on the feedback we receive. No final decisions have been made at this stage.
Will this development budget be capped?
This is still under discussion as part of the proposals, but our current expectation is that it would be capped. Our aim is to make sure the budget is fair and separate from existing staffing budgets, to encourage use of this funding for training, health and, welfare for staff
We encourage you to share your thoughts and respond to the consultation.