General Chat

Yes, it's come back - and in my opinion shouldn't be allowed to go away! Letters are to be sent on Monday. From the Times:

'The Times has learnt that up to 100 MPs will be asked to repay expenses, or prove that their claims were legitimate. About a dozen are likely to face demands to hand back significant sums, in some cases “tens of thousands of pounds”.
The investigation to include MPs who exploited loopholes to make claims that were in breach of the spirit, if not the letter, of the fees system.
MPs who receive what are being described as “challenging letters” from Sir Thomas will get three weeks to provide evidence clearing their name before being referred to a committee chaired by John Bercow, the Commons Speaker'

There could be some local elections coming up!!!

I remember once asking for 7p, I think it was, more than my receipts had stated... it wasn't malicious, just my poor, rushed adding up, lol..... well, I was hauled into the office, and asked to explain myself (our company had just been taken over by a national (spit) company) I was horrified, and paid it back immediately.... Area Manager then went through my claims to see if I had been overpaid at all... to find that I had never made a claim for expenses before, even when away on courses........ So I was told off again, and told that this lack of claiming could look suspicious, as well! What a load of bunkum.

So yes.... they should pay back every penny... even if they didn't realise, they have still claimed fraudulently... so many people get into a muddle with Tax credit cos they are paid one year... work a couple of hours extra... then have to pay it all back in retrospect the following year, often at times when it is more difficult financially. And if they work harder to meet with the shortfall... they have to pay it back through the next tax year as well.... and many of these are people who are working hard, on a minimum wage.

MP's are no different... they have been overpaid.... they must now pay that back. They are not above the law, they are our employees.

And I don't much care if it breaks them financially.... tell that to my sister, who is still struggling to pay back the overpayment she was made the year she had her breast cancer treatment... she was so poorly, and hadn't realised that the money she was getting, which enabled her to take time out to get well, would have to be paid back the following year, when she was on half time, because the year before she was ill she had worked extra hours to make ends meet.. 6 years down the line, she is still in debt (the tax bill paid back via a loan) her treatment has left her unable to do the job she has trained for (she is senior nurse on an acute medical ward in the NHS) so she is about to be dumped... she has 6 more weeks to find a job within the NHS (they don't do it for them, you know) and she is about to lose her home, as she can no longer pay her mortgage... she is an (unintentional) single mum of three teenage children, has worked since she was sixteen... with no time off other than maternity leave since then, until her cancer. And if she leaves now, she will lose much of her pension rights. She is 47. Her health problems are not recognised yet... they were as a result of some of the treatment she had, but that has not been confirmed cos she was a guinea pig, and the data hasn't been collated!

She deserves better.... and then those damned people claim for second homes, garden gnomes and daisies in the lawn... makes my blood boil.

Oops... that was a bit of a rant!!

Never mind... I'm feeling much better now, thank you for letting me get it out of my system!

Love

Daff xxxxx

Love

Daff xxxxx

You have very right to rant, Daff!!
These supercilious self-satisfied, smug parasites keep talking about 'benefit cheats' , while ensuring the majority of the population is on them - the 25% reduction in council tax for a single householder is regarded as a benefit - so there's an awful lot of us.
Meanwhile they're claiming £200 a month for food - I work and wish I could afford to spend that, and in some cases claiming more than the minimum wage on eating out!
As for Baroness scotland employing an illegal immigrant as a cleaner - when she brought in 'strict controls' for the rest of us (not that I could afford a cleaner mind!) is disgusting.

It's about time MP's realised they're not 'a cut above' the rest of us and immune from the laws of the land - that they introduce!

Don,t know about Bye Elections,should be Prosecutions,and made to pay the money back with interest at the highest rate. then Sacked or imprisoned for theft and misuse of the public purse. with no payoff .**M**.

Fully agree Merlin, that would be the most honest scenario - but we all know how slippery MP's are !!