Procedure for claims, complaints by MPs and IPSA's Chief Executive pay

IPSA holds the information that you request.

Taking your requests in turn:

• How many days including holidays and weekends did it take on average to process an MPs expenses claim in the last financial year. Where the definition of process is the period from when the MP submits the claim online to the payment clearing their account.

Our current records show that, according to your definition, in 2011/12 it took 8.01 days on average (including holidays and weekends) to process and reimburse an MP’s expenses claim.

• How many working days did it take on average to process an MPs expenses claim in the last financial year. Where the definition of process is the period from when the MP submits the claim online to the payment clearing their account.

Our current records show that, according to your definition, in 2011/12 it took 6.44 working days on average to process and reimburse an MP’s expenses claim.

• What is your target for processing claims and what is your definition of processing.

Our current target for processing claims is 12 working days.  IPSA defines processing time as the number of working days from receiving and scanning the hard copy documentation to the money for a reimbursed claim being received in a Member’s account.

• How many MPs complained about claims taking too long in the last financial year. How were these complaints resolved?

During the 2011-12 financial year, we received 5 formal complaints about the time we took to process claims.  All were resolved.  On investigation of the complaints, it would found that in four cases, the delay had been caused by a delay in the submission of either the claim itself or supporting paperwork, from the MP or proxy.  In one case, our investigation showed that we took too long to process the form due to a staff absence. We subsequently took steps to ensure that claims could not be delayed in the same way in the future.

• Was your Chief Executive paid a bonus in the last financial year, if so how much was that bonus.

The Chief Executive was not paid a bonus in 2011/12.