• A mileage allowance will be paid if you use your own vehicle for business journeys. For longer journeys, staff should first consider whether using a hire car would be cheaper. Staff should share cars wherever possible. Where a mileage allowance is claimed you may only claim mileage that is over and above your normal home to work journey. Mileage from home to your permanent place of work is not normally reimbursed, except in special circumstances such as emergency out of hours call outs.
• Mileage rates are as follows:
  • 45 pence for first 150 miles of a return journey.
  • 25 pence for subsequent miles.
• If you travel from home to a destination other than your usual place of work, you should claim the lower of:
  • Travel from your normal place of work to the destination; or
  • Travel from home to the destination.
• All distances travelled must be recorded at the time of the journey. Any payment in respect of mileage from home to your normal place of work is taxable in accordance with HM Revenue and Customs
• Staff are classified as driving at work if they are driving on University business. This includes all journeys from the normal designated place of work to other places of work e.g. to seminars, conferences, placements, fieldwork or sample locations etc. It does not include travelling between a person’s normal (designated) place of work and home.
• Staff using their own vehicle for University business are responsible for complying with all aspects of road traffic law and are personally liable for any penalties or convictions incurred as a result of failing to abide by the law.
• Drivers are expected to have a general level of awareness of road safety issues to demonstrate safe driving behaviours and staff must also comply with this the University’s Driving at Work Procedure.
• Where staff use their own vehicle on University business the following conditions apply:
• • They must hold a valid driving licence for the vehicle concerned;
  • The vehicle must have current and valid insurance which includes cover for business use;
  • The vehicle must be roadworthy, well maintained and have current and valid vehicle tax and MOT (if necessary).
• All staff claiming expenses for the use of their own vehicle on University business must sign a self-declaration on the expenses claim form to confirm that they have complied with the above requirements.
• Guidance for Drivers and the Use of Vehicles at Work.

• For longer journeys hiring a car is likely to be cheaper than using your own car.
• The cost of fuel for a hire car can be recovered on presentation of a receipted claim unless it has been paid for using a purchasing card.

Please ensure that any daily insurance rates are included in the booking, as the University does not automatically insure hire vehicles.  If you require any information on insurance for motor vehicles please check on the University Insurance - Motor vehicles pages

UK Car Hire

For UK Car Hire, the University has negotiated contracts with Several Suppliers. All UK Car Hire must go through Oracle iProcurement. Please refer to this document for important information as well as the process for booking with your chosen car hire company.

• Charges incurred whilst on business journeys can be recovered via an expense claim.
• Tickets should be retained wherever possible, particularly if you have paid £5 or more.
• Parking tickets and other charges arising from illegal or inappropriate parking cannot be claimed. The charge must be paid by the individual.