Mileage scam

[testing times]

This is shocking - £1m for car expenses? I can't be the only one who thinks this has the look of a rather crude way of supplementing salaries through the back door and isn't it strange how the same car that would attract 46p mileage in Redcar would somehow generate 60p mileage in Stockton? And how many personal journeys is the taxpayer paying for because I think even the lowest of these rates would cover a person's petrol costs completely.
ALL IN THIS TOGETHER?
http://www.hartlepoolpost.co.uk

[Donkey Kong]

It would be very interesting to see what they are classing as "business miles" as commuting to a permanent place of work is not an allowable claim for tax free mileage allowance.

[Stig of the Seaton Dump]

Don't forget the amount is supposed to reflect the total running costs including wear and tear, servicing and depreciation.

Which is not to defend HBC, every company I have worked for has paid the official claimable rate exactly.
(/The official rate might sound generous until you have to buy that extra set of tyres, brake pads, service etc.)
I would have thought allowing more than that would be a taxable benefit.

[Donkey Kong]

I would have thought allowing more than that would be a taxable benefit.

As is claiming mileage allowance for commuting to a permanent place of work, hence my query above.

A nicely worded FOI (not asking for details of specific individuals) from somebody with enough free time on their hands could be interesting.

[mk1]

It would be very interesting to see what they are classing as "business miles" as commuting to a permanent place of work is not an allowable claim for tax free mileage allowance.

It is a bit of a pain having to leave your fifedom of Owton Manor to pop into the Town Hall to apply for your grants. I presume the  milage money helps alleviate the  pain!
Anyway who is being lined up for the fat juicy position about to be lobbed Angie's way?
Which relative has dibbs on it?

[steveL]

I think the point is that the calculation by the Inland Revenue includes running costs as well as fuel and they have calculated this to be 45p. Wear on tyres doesn't only occur when on council business, you know, so the idea that expenses should wholly cover replacement tyres is a bit of a cheek.  

[The Great Dictator]

If it  costs £1m in mileage it would cost £2m by taxis. Mileage is a standard issue, you can't expect officers to go to Northallerton on a bike, just leave it you wan*ers.

[mk1]

If it  costs £1m in mileage it would cost £2m by taxis.

So you/they are doing us a favour then?

Mileage is a standard

I believe the 'bleeding obvious' bit you missed is that this allowance is paid at the very top of the scale.
It may be many things but 'standard' is not one of them.




just leave it you wan*ers.
[/quote]

[no6bus]

surely in this day of internet, conference calls the actual need for people to do as many miles "on business" has receded, most stuff could be done online. obviously social services and the like still need to actually visit, but how many trips out at the tax payers expense are just excuses to leave the office.

[Vincent]

It would be very interesting to see what they are classing as "business miles" as commuting to a permanent place of work is not an allowable claim for tax free mileage allowance.

My understanding of the rules are that you can not claim from your home to and from your place of work or the first 20 miles (not sure about the number of miles) to your first business appointment, thereafter you can claim.

[Stig of the Seaton Dump]

If it is cut to 20p a mile and staff find they are making a loss then they won't use their own cars and we will have to pay for them to use taxi's and buses.
While they are travelling they will need paying for that time, so paying 45p  a mile may be a lot cheaper than paying for a bike ride.

The council do a lot of home visits to assess peoples needs, something that can't be done on the internet or phone.

[The Great Dictator]

In another authority there was a mileage dispute so the employee exercised her right to travel on a home visit by taking 2 buses each way at the cost of £4.80 and spent nearly 4[£45] hours out of the office. Had she used her car she would have been back within 1 hour, now you tell me mileage is not good value ?

[mk1]

In another authority there was a mileage dispute so the employee exercised her right to travel on a home visit by taking 2 buses each way at the cost of £4.80 and spent nearly 4[£45] hours out of the office. Had she used her car she would have been back within 1 hour, now you tell me mileage is not good value ?

I used to be like that at work.
If a boss upset me I made sure I did the job in the most awkward way possible just to teach him a lesson.


Now explain why the upkeep of a car in Hartlepool requires an allowance greater than anywhere else.
Surely you are not saying Hartlepool is a 'World Class' authority that has managed to get better value by giving away more money than the norm?

I can safely say that the vast majority of those claiming the mileage never get anywhere near the poor and the sick.
It is a bit like every motorist who gets caught speeding claims they were on the way to visit a poor crippled  blind old granny who needs  the use of the car to stay alive-bollocks!

By the way using someone on 11 quid an hour to plead your case of giving money to the already well paid is not a wise move.
I also suggest  the local Taxi firms would do you a deal that would be considerably less than the 3,800 quid a day you lot suck out of the system.

[steveL]

I think that is basically the point of the story i.e. 45p is the approved rate and if there is a genuine case to pay more then why isn't that increased rate consistent across authorities.

I would think that where a job consists substantially of home visits then there would be a good case for the use of a pool car.

[testing times]

. . . and why do 80 local authorities, which is about a third of the total, manage to get by paying the approved rate.