Policies & Procedures

This policy was reviewed and approved by Welbourn Parish Council at its meeting on 8 February 2023. Next formal review February 2026.

1. Policy Statement

Councillors, including co-opted councillors, and employees of Welbourn Parish Council may claim for the reimbursement of day-to-day personal expenses incurred when carrying out previously approved duties. Approved duties mean doing anything approved by Welbourn Parish Council, or anything of a class so approved for the purpose or relating to, the discharge of the functions of the Council or any of its committees or working parties.

Day-today expenses include:

• Mileage costs
• Parking
• Bridge tolls
• Public transport
• Subsistence
• Overnight accommodation & meals including out of pocket expenses
• Telephone calls (for business use) -itemised bills to be included for each claim

Personal expense claims cannot be used for the following:

• Other colleagues or Member’s expenses or subsistence allowances
• Parking fines or Penalty Charge Notices
• IT equipment or consumables

2. Claim Forms

Claim forms can be obtained from the RFO or Clerk to the Council. Claims must be made within 2 months of the expenditure and submitted with all relevant original receipts and/or invoices. Receipts should itemise any VAT payed.

Claims submitted in excess of 2 months will be paid at the discretion of the Council.

3. Travelling

Employees and members who use their own vehicle for business purposes must ensure that it meets the following criteria:

1. That the vehicle has a current Road Fund Licence and is in a road worthy condition complying with Road Traffic Acts.

2. That they have a valid driving licence and MOT certificate.

3. That they have confirmed with their insurance company that they are fully insured for business use.

Travelling expenses will be reimbursed at the amount of 0.45p per mile, if using a private vehicle, or the cost of a standard second-class rail ticket, or appropriate bus fare, if using public transport.

If the Clerk to the Council or any other member or emplosocial and domestic and pleasure use premium and that required by the insurer to cover use for business purposes. Evidence of the difference in premium will need to be given.

Mileage will be paid for the shortest practicable route for any journey, except when travel by a longer route reduces travelling time.

All mileage paid which exceeds the Approved Mileage Allowance payments may be subject to PAYE/NI payments and where possible these will be deducted during the payroll process. Members must be aware that they may have to pay PAYE/NI payments to declare at the end of the year if the deductions are not able to be taken during payroll. Further information including approved mileage rates can be found on the HMRC website.

Employees themselves are responsible for any costs incurred in journeys between their home and normal place of work. Journeys between an employee’s home and normal place of work cannot be claimed as business mileage under any circumstances.

4. Subsistence & Accommodation

Subsistence allowances for refreshments will be limited to the following:

• Breakfast - departure from home before 8:00am - £6.00
• Lunch - absent from place of work between 12pm-2pm - £8.00
• Evening meal - when staying overnight in a hotel - £15.00

The rates for subsistence will be reduced to the actual cost of the meal if less than the Allowance.

Where overnight accommodation is required, the room rate must not exceed £80.00. If the accommodation cannot be sourced within these limits, prior written approval must be sought from the Chairman.

All claims must be accompanied by the original receipt.

5. Training

The Clerk shall have delegated powers to authorise councillors’ attendance at training events, subject to funds remaining within the yearly budget set aside by the council. Such expenses incurred will be approved retrospectively after the event, at the next meeting of the council.

Any expenditure in respect of training outside of the LALC’s Training Schedule, to which Welbourn Parish Council has subscribed, must be approved by council prior to attendance.

6. Items purchased specifically at the direction of the Council

These will only be reimbursed subject to the prior agreement of the council and on production of a valid receipt.

Members must endeavour to obtain a VAT receipt in the name of the Council for all such purchases, and this must be passed to the Clerk, together with the claim for reimbursement.

7. Other Expenses

Reimbursement of any other expenditure will only be by prior agreement with the council.

8. Member’s Allowances

Welbourn Parish Council does not pay any basic members’ allowance to elected councillors.

The rate for travelling expenses for members shall be set in accordance with the procedures stipulated in The Local Authorities (Members’ Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003.yee is required to use their car for Council business purposes, then the Council will reimburse the amount of the difference between the ordinary.