MPs cannot claim £50 in expenses for breakfast

A false claim that members of Parliament can “claim £50 expenses for a breakfast” is recirculating on social media. 

One post on Facebook features text which reads: “No British person should have to use a foodbank as long as an MP can claim £50 expenses for a Breakfast !” Other posts on the site make the same general claim but using different wording, as do posts on X (formerly Twitter). 

As we first explained in 2020, this claim is incorrect. 

While MPs can claim some money for food, this is only if they spend a night away from either their constituency or London for parliamentary business, and they’re only allowed to claim £25 per night they spend away. 

What food expenses can MPs claim?

MPs are allowed to claim expenses related to their work, such as office or staffing costs.

The level of pay and pensions that MPs receive, along with expenses relating to their office or staffing costs, are all determined by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA). 

Under rules set by IPSA, MPs are only able to claim subsistence (food and non-alcoholic drinks) expenses if they travel for parliamentary business and have to stay overnight at a location that is neither their constituency nor London. They have to provide evidence of the costs incurred. 

Claims for food and non-alcoholic drinks are limited to £25 per night spent away and this covers all the meals they may have during this time. This means that while an MP could in theory spend all £25 on breakfast, they would then not be able to claim expenses for any other meals that day. 

In 2013 it emerged that Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP, who was serving as work and pensions secretary at the time, had an expenses claim which included a breakfast costing £39 rejected, though the specific reasons do not appear to have been made public. 

IPSA rules say MPs can claim for hotel stays in London if they have been working after 10pm on parliamentary matters. Some MPs may claim the cost of hotels in London, instead of rental accommodation. In some cases, breakfast may be included in the cost of the hotel room. 

MPs who represent constituencies in the London area or occupy “grace and favour” accommodation in the capital are not eligible for accommodation costs (but may be eligible to claim hotel costs if staying overnight on parliamentary business outside the London area). 

A range of food and drink options, including breakfast, are available at venues throughout the Houses of Parliament. Although these services are not directly subsidised, some of the venues run at a loss, meaning that public money is effectively spent subsidising the overall catering operation. However, the restaurants are available to staff, passholders and visitors to Parliament as well as MPs. 

Full Fact has written about misleading claims and misconceptions about MPs’ expenses and pay before. We often see these types of claims spread widely online. False or misleading claims about politicians and the political process have the potential to affect people’s opinions of individuals, parties or how they choose to vote.