New travel expense guide

New travel expense guide

With effect from 1st July 2013, a new system for reimbursing business travel for staff using their own vehicle or pedal cycles will come into effect where they have previously been in receipt of nationally agreed rates. Some NHS organisations have alternative arrangements agreed locally and it will be for those partnerships to agree the mileage reimbursement rate to be applied. The nationally agreed changes come into effect under the revised Section 17 of the Agenda for Change Handbook.  The main changes are:

  •  Reimbursement of travel costs will be made at the new nationally agreed standard rate for the first 3,500 miles and a new lower rate for miles over 3,500.
  • A new Reserve Rate has been introduced which replaces Public Transport Rate
  • The period of assessing the above mileage has changed from April to March to July to June going forward.
  • Duty of Care arrangements will be required to validate the employee’s Insurance Certificate covers Business Travel, MOT certificates and Driving Licence
  • Rates of reimbursement will be in line with AA published rates and reviewe
  • Eligible mileage is paid where an employee starts a business journey from home (instead of their workplace) and the normal home to base mileage is subtracted from the claim. For example, if the employee travels an initial journey of 30 miles and their normal commute is 20 miles the amount they claim will be 10.
  • The mileage paid to staff attending training courses will be paid at the new nationally agreed standard where the training is at the instigation of the employer
  • There is a duty of car for employers to assess Health & Safety where an employee transports heavy or bulky equipment
  • Employers should agree in partnership the arrangements for reimbursing travel where the employee accepts a post as an alternative to redundancy, or changes their base. This will include the period the payment will be made.
     

For information, the following link will access the Pay Circular (AfC) 3/2013:

 http://www.nhsemployers.org/Aboutus/Publications/Documents/pay-circular-afc-3-2013.pdf

 

Any queries, please send them to payroll@nhct.nhs.uk