MPs have been told they will be able to lump the cost of food and drink for Christmas staff parties on taxpayers for the first time.
But the “hospitality” claims cannot include alcoholic beverages, guidance from the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) states.
The expenses watchdog issued the advice in response to “frequently asked questions” about how MPs and their staff can celebrate during the festive season.
Ipsa confirmed that “MPs can claim the costs of food and refreshments for an office festive” in their parliamentary or constituency offices, but warned “no claims are allowed for alcohol”.
The cost of “festive decorations for their office” can also be claimed, the guidance first reported by the Daily Mail says.
MPs were told that any claims “should represent value for money, especially in the current economic climate”, as millions feel the strain of a cost-of-living crisis.
It comes as MPs' expenses have risen considerably over the past couple of years partly due to hiring more staff for Covid casework.
Costs including travel, accommodation and staff rose to £138.6 million in 2021-22.
Labour MP Jess Phillips hit out at the guidance, saying: "Just want to say no one asked for this, no one I know will use it.
"The guidance wasn't made by MPs and yet we will be pilloried for it. I think it's really irresponsible to issue this guidance as if MPs have been clamouring for it when I've literally never heard anyone do that.
"I have a tree in my office we dust off every year and decorations (tinsel and baubles from Wilkos) that I paid for. We have home made decorations made by kids in a local school and some knitted fairy lights garland made by a lovely local knitting group (again which I paid for).
"I will throw a Christmas party for my staff, it will be in my home where I will cook and pay for all of the food and drink. Once again I reiterate that there was no clamour for this from MPs and it's stupid."
It comes as more than 20 Tory MPs billed the taxpayer for TV licenses this year - despite scrapping free licenses for thousands of pensioners.
The Conservative Party broke a manifesto pledge to protect the £157.50 lifeline for the over-75s. Instead, Boris Johnson lumped the £745million cost of the benefit onto the BBC.
And since August 2020, only over-75s who receive Pension Credit have been eligible for free licences. Older people’s groups have called for the lifeline to be restored as living standards take a battering.
But some 58 MPs across all parties have claimed for TV licences this year, according to new figures published by expenses watchdog Ipsa.
The watchdog says MPs are allowed to claim back TV licence fees for their constituency offices, if they use it to “support their parliamentary work”.
Of the 21 Conservatives who claimed licences on expenses, 13 were MPs in 2016, when free TV licences were last put to a Commons vote - and all of them voted to scrap them.
