Fuel cost as domiciliary carer

Hawthorn

Not sure this is the right place for this but here goes -

My husband found work as a mobile carer. Nice to be off the benefits, but it's costing us £40 a week to travel in between service users.
He is working a lot of hours (some days 6.30am until 11pm) with a half hour here and there in between jobs, but much of his time is eaten up with travelling.

We aren't happy with the situation, obviously, since he gets paid only for the time spent at clients homes, not travelling time, and the fuel costs come from our pocket, so he gets paid maybe only for two thirds of the time spent away from home, and then his wage further gets eaten into by fuel costs.

He is looking for alternative employment at the moment. He loves what he's doing, but these care companies take the p*ss to be honest.

Anyway, in the meantime is there any way we can claim back the fuel costs. He is not classed as self employed, but is on a zero hours contract.

We did ask tax credits about it and they said not a chance.

Hammyman

You can claim expenses in employment with a P87. Mileage would be at HMRC rates at 45ppm for the first 10,000 miles then 25ppm after. HOWEVER this is done as a reduction on your tax, not an actual amount payable. Basically if you earn £12500 a year, do 10,000 miles and claim £4500 your taxable income is now £8000 for the year however you've paid tax on £12500 so you'd get refunded the tax you'd paid on £4500. If the amount you claim takes you below the personal allowance threshold, you only get refunded the tax you paid, not any additional even if only £1000 of the £4500 you claim takes you below the threshold.

OK, now on to tax credits. Lets base it on the above. When you do your claim, because you've had these expenses, your income for your tax credit claim isn't the amount you earn, the £12500, but the amount after expenses have been deducted so £8000 and thats the figure you tell them. This can mean that people who wouldn't be eligible can become so.

There is nothing that will compensate him before the end of the current tax year other than the tax credits if he qualifies. The tax refund on expenses takes effect after 6th April.

Hawthorn

That's enormously helpful - thank you so much Hammyman

TrickyWicky

Thats actually very useful I never knew that either. I thought only self employed could claim back expenses via HMRC..

@Op, my partner did work like that for twol days. Despite spending years in the caring industry my partner did the job for 2 days and decided it simply wasn't economical to continue. The clients loved my partner so much that the company offered an extra .50p an hour to stay which was refused.

The care industry is one big p*ss take. They like their big profits but pay as little as possible to their staff whilst charging some councils £3k per week for the care.

Hammyman

If you look on the HMRC website, there's actually a fair bit you can claim. With the hours the OP's OH is doing, not having a fixed place of work and not being able to get home for lunch, they can claim meal allowances as well.

CaringCarer

I know this is an old thread but I was a bit annoyed to see the following quote,

"The care industry is one big p*ss take. They like their big profits but pay as little as possible to their staff whilst charging some councils £3k per week for the care. "

As a manager for a domiciliary care agency, we don't get paid much by the local authorities to provide care. Out of the little we do get paid, we have to pay not only for the staff's wages but also employer's national insurance, administration and senior care staff wages, management wages, insurance, office, computer and furniture costs, software costs for preparing rotas, paper and postage costs for sending rotas as well as mobile phone costs as our management team need to be permamantly on call for our clients, staff and emergency services.
The only care compnies that make 'big profits' are the national ones that have diversified into different areas of care, including residential, nursing, medical, equipment and bank care, and these companies make very little from the domiciliary side, as this is the least profitable.
If you want to criticise the private care companies, maybe you should remember that we're the ones keeping your loved ones safe in their homes, worrying about how long we can afford to do it as a company.

cazziebo

Well said, CaringCarer :T This is a very low margin industry, with the smaller local independents who refuse to compromise on standards going out of business, with the larger shareholder driven firms taking over.

It's society that's doing the p*ss take. We so do not value caring for our elderly and vulnerable, and would prefer to see our council tax money go on roads or more bin collections.

The councils do not usually pay the companies mileage, and do not pay for hours not spent delivering care. So the company only gets money for the time spent in a service user's house. Once the carer is paid, the employment on costs are added, training and admin costs are allocated there isn't a lot left for any profit.

These companies are giving your loved ones the choice to remain in their own homes, rather than in hospitals or care homes. We should value home care way more than we do.

(Gosh - didn't realise Hammyman had been PPR'd! Such useful advice, too)

TrickyWicky

CaringCarer wrote: »

If you want to criticise the private care companies, maybe you should remember that we're the ones keeping your loved ones safe in their homes

Thats just it, you're not. I have no loved ones being cared for in their home so you're already wrong.

@Hawthorn, try the county council. My partner has just switched to one and they pay for time between clients plus mileage.

Sambucus_Nigra

CaringCarer wrote: »

I know this is an old thread but I was a bit annoyed to see the following quote,

"The care industry is one big p*ss take. They like their big profits but pay as little as possible to their staff whilst charging some councils £3k per week for the care. "

As a manager for a domiciliary care agency, we don't get paid much by the local authorities to provide care. Out of the little we do get paid, we have to pay not only for the staff's wages but also employer's national insurance, administration and senior care staff wages, management wages, insurance, office, computer and furniture costs, software costs for preparing rotas, paper and postage costs for sending rotas as well as mobile phone costs as our management team need to be permamantly on call for our clients, staff and emergency services.
The only care compnies that make 'big profits' are the national ones that have diversified into different areas of care, including residential, nursing, medical, equipment and bank care, and these companies make very little from the domiciliary side, as this is the least profitable.
If you want to criticise the private care companies, maybe you should remember that we're the ones keeping your loved ones safe in their homes, worrying about how long we can afford to do it as a company.

You may not get paid much, but why should your carers pay out of their own pocket for fuel and time in between visits for travel to clients? Business is business and if you don't put these costs in your bidding, then no wonder you get paid a pittance. If you don't know how to cost out proposals, why should the workers pick up the slack?

cazziebo

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

You may not get paid much, but why should your carers pay out of their own pocket for fuel and time in between visits for travel to clients? Business is business and if you don't put these costs in your bidding, then no wonder you get paid a pittance. If you don't know how to cost out proposals, why should the workers pick up the slack?

If only it were that easy....

The councils stipulate the banding for the bill rate. The procurement process is largely "quality blind" i.e. price is the over riding factor in allocating the work. One firm I know achieved one of the highest ratings nationally from the care inspectorate - and still didn't get the contract. (However, the national provider who did win is unable to supply so the firm does get the business) Large national providers can always pitch in with less because they have economies of scale. If an independent pitches in much more they won't get work and will go out of business.

Most companies will pay mileage, even though this isn't claimable back from the council. In my experience, independents are more likely to service the outlying and difficult areas, even though it costs the firms more.