MPs' council tax expense claims rise after councils given power to double charges on second homes

MPs' council tax expense claims have risen substantially after local authorities in England were given the power to charge a council tax premium of up to 100% on second homes, official records show.

Published claims by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) indicate that several MPs with properties both in London and in their constituencies have been hit by the higher bills, and that some have sought reimbursement from public funds for the increased charge.

Labour’s Ed Miliband billed taxpayers £3,285.90 in council tax for a property in his Doncaster North constituency for the 2025/26 financial year, more than double the £1,576.42 he claimed for 2024/25, IPSA records show. Hilary Benn, listed as Northern Ireland Secretary, submitted claims of about £430 in council tax for a property in both April and May this year.

Conservative MPs have also reported higher bills. Andrew Murrison, the MP for South West Wiltshire, claimed £2,486.44 in council tax for a Westminster property for 2025/26, compared with £1,189.42 for 2024/25. Dame Harriett Baldwin, chair of the Commons Treasury Select Committee, claimed £5,455.70 in council tax for 2025/26 — more than double the £2,602.73 she claimed for a property in her Worcestershire constituency in 2024/25. Baldwin told The Times she had requested an exemption after her council doubled the charge but that the request was refused.

There is no suggestion of wrongdoing. Under IPSA rules, MPs who represent constituencies outside London are eligible to claim expenses related to accommodation costs, including hotels, rental payments and certain associated costs such as council tax, for one home. An IPSA spokesperson said the authority provides funding so MPs can work from both Westminster and their constituencies and that it reimburses costs for only one home per MP, either in the constituency or in London, with strict budgets that must be adhered to.

The change in local council powers stems from legislation passed by the previous government in October 2023 that allowed councils in England to apply a second‑home council tax premium of up to 100%. Supporters of the measure, including the then levelling up secretary Michael Gove, said it would tackle the number of empty second homes and revitalise local communities.

Critics have argued the premium has had broader impacts. Andy Fenner, chief executive of the Short Term Accommodation Association, said the premium was distorting the holiday‑let market and increasing costs for families seeking domestic holidays, and warned that if MPs are insulated from the financial effect by claiming the additional charge from taxpayers it could deepen a sense of unfairness for local communities and tourism businesses. "Second home council tax premiums are already distorting the holiday let market, pushing up costs for families wanting to holiday in the UK, while doing little to free up homes for local people," he said.

Elliot Keck of the Taxpayers’ Alliance described the premium as "one of the most unjustifiable and punitive policies passed in recent years" and said some MPs who supported the policy were able to avoid its effects by claiming the extra costs from the public purse. "If these politicians had any principles they would be coughing up for the additional charge out of their own pocket," he said.

IPSA emphasised its role in ensuring the cost of doing parliamentary business is not a barrier to service and noted its rules limit funding to one home per MP. The authority said public records of MPs' expenses are regularly published to ensure transparency.

Local authorities have adopted different approaches to applying second‑home premiums, and appeals or exemption requests can be considered by councils under local policy. The rise in claimed reimbursements has prompted renewed scrutiny of how the premium affects households, local housing markets and public perceptions of fairness when elected officials seek reimbursement for increased charges.

The council tax premium remains a matter for individual councils to apply under the 2023 legislation, while debates continue in Westminster about the policy’s effects on housing availability, local economies and the distribution of its financial burden.