Over-claiming Rochdale MP to pay back money

SIMON Danczuk will have to pay back £11,583 he claimed in expenses for accommodation for his children, and for a parking charge he claimed while on holiday in Spain.  The troubled MP for Rochdale was told by Peter Davis, Ipsa's complaince officer, that:
'The evidence points overwhelmingly to the conclusion that the MP obtained an increase to his accommodation expenditure budget by claiming dependant uplifts for his two oldest children for a period of over three years, when, at no point were either of the children routinely resident.

'The compliance officer must also conclude that this was done knowing that there was no reasonable prospect of the children staying at the accommodation.'

Alongside the £11,583 excess, Mr Danczuk was also found to have wrongly claimed £96.50 in parking charges while on holiday in Spain.

Mr Danczuk said:

'Regrettably, due to the vague wording of the rules, I inadvertently claimed 10% more than my annual living allowance, money which was paid directly to my landlord in London and not to me.  I hold my hands up and admit that this was an error on my part.'