MPs are able to claim up to £10,000 extra in expenses for working from home costs while parliament is shut due to the coronavirus crisis.

MPs and their staff can get a portion of their heating bills repaid and money can be spent on equipment like office furniture and printers.

MSPs at Holyrood are also working form home but are not receiving any increase to their office costs allowance.

The allowance is on top of the £26,000 available for office costs.

The body responsible for MPs allowances and expenses the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) has told MPs what they can claim for.

On additional costs from home working, IPSA states: “Both MPs and staff members can claim for part of their bills, where the costs are in addition to the normal costs of living in the home.”

It explains a formula dependent on the size of the home and how many hours a day are spent working.

It continued: “A pro-rata amount can be calculated by working out the proportion of the house/flat that is being used as a home office (for example one room out of six rooms in a house = 1/6) and the number of hours per day when the room is used as an office (for example eight hours out of 24 = 1/3).

“In this example, 1/18 of the total household bill would be claimable.”

The Glasgow Times contacted all seven of the city’s MPs to ask if they anticipated any extra expenses would be incurred and if they thought others working from home should be entitled to similar support.

However none of our MPs responded individually and instead we were sent a comment from the SNP.

A SNP spokesman said “This is a decision by and a matter for IPSA but every employer must consider what support they can provide for staff who are being made to work from home.

“For instance, access to the equipment and resources needed to undertake the job.

“The SNP is pressing the UK government to look at what measures can be put in place to help all employers facilitate home working during this crisis - so that everyone is supported and not just a few.”

IPSA said the £10,000 added to the office costs budget has been provided to fund the purchase of equipment where this is necessary to enable MPs and staff to work from home.

MPS are able to choose where to buy equipment and what types of equipment they need.

The UK Parliament closed down last month ahead of the Easter Recess and is due to return on April 21.

MPs are still working but constituency offices are closed and staff working from home where possible.

The Scottish Parliament has also closed and MSPs working from home but now similar increase in expenses have been made.

A spokesman for the Scottish Parliament said “We have not increased MSPs office cost provision.”

The Parliament said if a MSP has insufficient funds in their Office Costs Provision, the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body can consider exceptional applications, but there has been no increase.