Please see below a statement of response regarding a recent media report concerning a claim for gas & electric costs incurred during working from home:

“Having been informed by Parliamentary standards that MPs would be reimbursed for additional costs accrued when working at home, I submitted the claim in September which was paid in line with the rules of the scheme.

However as this pandemic has continued to deteriorate over the winter and I have seen the many ways in which Chesterfield people are really struggling, this payment sits uneasily with me by comparison to the experiences of my constituents.

I will therefore be making an equivalent payment to 2 local charities – ones involved in health and poverty alleviation and will confirm the specific details as soon as arrangements can be made.”

Toby Perkins MP