Expenses FAQs and People Team Update Extracts
General Expenses FAQs and Reminders
If you cannot find the answer to your query below, please email us at:
- When should I buy something myself and when should another payment method be used?
- What can I claim on expenses?
- Where can I find the current mileage and subsistence rates?
- What information do I need to include on my expenses claim?
- My claim has been authorised by my Head of Department - so why does it need to be checked by the Expenses team?
- Can I save up my claims and submit them all at once?
- Once I have completed my claim, what happens to it?
- What are the rules about per diems? Can I claim a per diem when abroad?
- Can I claim travelling expenses between my home and place of work?
People Team Updates Links
May 24: Think before you spend; can and/or should this be paid for directly by the University?
Jul 24: Meals are only claimable when both purchased and consumed whilst travelling away from the University on business
Oct 24: You must NOT pay personally for any work and then try to reclaim (this applies to students as well as staff)
Nov 24: Staff must have business insurance if using their car for business travel
Jan 25: You must have full receipts to reclaim expenses
Mar 25: Family relocation costs can only be claimed when family members were previously living at the same address
Jun 25: Remember to assign a delegate approver if you are a Concur approver and expect to be away from the office for an extended time
Sep 25: Expenses must be claimed within 3 months of being incurred (even if you have been given an annual budget or block grant)
People Team Updates
May 24 : Think before you spend
Before you incur any expense, please check whether it can (and/or should) be paid for directly by the University.
If you need to pay for something that is other than travel or subsistence, it is likely that it can be paid for directly by your department.
Even if it seems “easier” to pay yourself and claim on expenses, if it is not travel or subsistence your claim may be queried, rejected or assigned to the payroll team to process as a taxable item (HMRC see a difference between the University paying for certain items directly and an individual paying for them and being reimbursed by the University).
Please note that Procurement have now introduced a facility for single-use purchasing card numbers if the departmental purchasing cardholder is absent, so their absence is not a reason to pay for something urgently yourself
Jul 24 : Meals only when travelling away
If you are travelling on University business away from your normal place of work, you may claim for the cost of your lunch and evening meals (up to a maximum of £15 and £30 respectively) whilst on that business.
This only applies to meals both bought and consumed whilst travelling; you cannot claim for food purchased for later consumption at home or for snacks purchased during the day, even if your expenditure is within the above limits.
If any department would like to request a visit from the Expenses Team, please contact Expenses@warwick.ac.uk
All staff and students are reminded that they must not pay personally for any work and hope to reclaim this via expenses (e.g. proof-reading, translation, editing etc.)
This must be paid for directly by the University so that all the correct employment procedures are followed and the employment taxes/VAT/reverse charge VAT due are paid to the appropriate authorities.
Any personal claims for work done will be returned to the claimant unpaid.
Nov 24 : Car Insurance for Business Travel
Staff are reminded that, before choosing to undertake a business journey by private vehicle, it is the personal responsibility of the employee to ensure that they have valid and appropriate vehicle insurance for business use, the private vehicle used has a valid road fund licence and MOT certificate, and is serviced and maintained in a safe and roadworthy condition
(As per FP16.3.2.1 https://warwick.ac.uk/services/finance/resources/regulations/fp16)
You are also advised to read the University’s webpages re Driving for Work and Use of Privately Owned Vehicles
All claims (whether from staff, students, visitors or other externals) must have supporting receipts (with the exception of mileage claims).
Credit card slips, snapshots of payment amounts, or bank statements are not sufficient proof of exactly what has been purchased.
Although contactless payments are becoming more popular and vendors often do not routinely give customers receipts, if you wish your payment to be reimbursed you must ask for a receipt and attach it to your claim.
Further information regarding receipts can be found under Financial Procedure 16
Mar 25 : Family Relocation Costs
If an employee has a family, please note that it is only if the family and employee were previously residing at the same address that any costs associated with relocation are eligible for reimbursement.
https://warwick.ac.uk/services/peopleteam/internal/payroll/expenses/relocation/costs/
Jun 25 : Concur Delegate Approvers
If you approve expenses and are going on holiday, it is a good idea to add a delegate approver (if one is available in your department) to your Concur profile so that they can temporarily approve claims in your absence.
Check before you spend
And another general reminder to all that before you incur any expense, please check whether it can (and/or should) be paid for directly by the University.
If you need to pay for something that is neither travel nor subsistence, it is likely that it can and should be paid for directly by your department.
Even if it seems easier or quicker to pay yourself and reclaim or a colleague says to you “just claim on expenses”, if it is not travel or subsistence your claim is likely to be queried, rejected or assigned to the payroll team to process as a taxable item.
And before you drive your car on any business trips, remember that you must have vehicle insurance for business use.
Sep 25 : Expense Claims submission within 3 months
Please remember that any personal expense claims must be submitted within 3 months of the expense being incurred. This applies even if you have been given an annual budget or block grant. And when you do prepare your claim, please remember that you can include items from different trips on a single claim; just use the “Business Purpose” field to describe which particular trip each expense was for.
When should I buy something myself and when should another payment method be used?
Anything other than travel or subsistence should not generally be paid for personally. Please ask in your Department if the item can be paid for via an invoice or a Purchasing Card. There are also circumstances where an internal food voucher is appropriate.
What can I claim on expenses?
Expense claims should only be used for reimbursement of travelling, subsistence, accommodation or other related costs. UK and European travel and accommodation over £1,000 (combined value) and all other overseas travel must be booked through Key Travel.
Goods and services other than those above should be ordered using the University purchasing procedures (see: Financial Procedure 15). Staff must not use their own funds to purchase other goods and services – these will not be reimbursed through expenses except for pre-approved minor items required in emergencies.
Further information on what can be claimed can be found in Financial Procedure FP16, which focuses on travel subsistence, gifts and hospitality.
Where can I find the current mileage and subsistence rates?
The Payroll website includes current rates for mileage and meals and other allowances.
What information do I need to include on my expenses claim?
You must include as much information as possible - for example, when claiming mileage, you must state your starting point, the end of your journey and any deviations. This enables your claim to be verified and paid without delay.
You must provide original receipts for any items of expenditure incurred on business - these include meals, train tickets, taxi journeys, etc. You must also state the reason for the journey or expense.
My claim has been authorised by my Head of Department - so why does it need to be checked by the Expenses team?
The Head of Department or authorised deputy certifies that the claim was for expenses incurred in the performance of your duties and that there is a budget within the department to cover the cost.
The Expenses team is responsible for ensuring the amounts you claim are within those authorised to be paid tax-free by HMRC and are in accordance with the University's financial regulations.
Can I save up my claims and submit them all at once?
Please combine your expenses into a single claim as much as possible, but submit no later than three months after incurring the first expense. Late claims will be considered on receipt of a written statement explaining the reason for the delay but they are not guaranteed to be paid.
Once I have completed my claim, what happens to it?
You should check on the procedures that apply within your department. However, the Head of Department or other authorised officer needs to approve your claim. The certifying officer confirms the following:
- The expenses were necessarily incurred in the performance of duties.
- The expenses claimed are not payable from another source.
- There is sufficient money in the budget to meet the costs involved.
- Due consideration has been given to achieving value for money.
Your claim may then have to go through your department's Finance office or be signed off by Research Support Services staff before being submitted to the Expenses team for processing and payment. It also needs to be coded by someone in your department to signify which budget the cost is to be allocated to.
All those authorising expense claims must be registered with financeofficeadmin@warwick.ac.uk as an authorised signatory. Claims authorised by unregistered staff will be rejected by the Expenses team.
Can I claim a per diem when abroad?
Yes - please follow the link for full details, also noting:
- Actual hotel bills must be produced – the University does not pay per diems for hotel accommodation.
- Any meals provided must be noted on the form and the per diem will be reduced accordingly.
- Generally a per diem is designed to cover all living and travelling expenses whilst abroad. If you believe the per diem will not cover all these costs, then you should provide receipts for all expenditure rather than claim a per diem.
Can I claim travelling expenses between my home and place of work?
Under normal circumstances, the cost of travel between home and a permanent place of work cannot be reimbursed. This is because travelling to work is not ‘in the performance of duties’ but simply puts you in a position to undertake the duties of your post.
In some limited and exceptional circumstances, an employee’s home can be regarded as their permanent workplace. In these circumstances, any business travel undertaken from home would be regarded as business mileage and eligible for reimbursement.
In other circumstances, where someone covers a geographical area with no specific base, that geographical area can be regarded as the workplace. Travel to the perimeters of the area is private mileage with business mileage applying thereafter.
It is also possible that someone who regularly undertakes their duties in a number of different venues would treat each venue as a permanent workplace and travel to each venue is private mileage.