Fuel money for going on courses?

JustAnotherSaver

Now i don't want anyones nose to get bent out of shape ... I'm only asking here, i'm not demanding anything should be owed!!

My wife is to go on a course as part of work soon & she'll be the only one on this course.
Her car is acting up a lot. She's not the most confident of drivers anyway but she has zero confidence in taking her car on the motorway & so wont do it anymore.

Her travel to work is about 4.5 miles A-road traffic (& obviously 4.5mile back)
Her travel to this course is going to be about 25-30 mile (same back obviously) of A-roads & motorway.

As she spoke about it i asked if there's anything in place regards paying for the extra travel - anything per mile for example.

She said she really didn't think so & that they see it as she gets paid to not be at work so doesn't need paying for the travel.

Yet surely if she's "not at work" then she is free to do as she pleases & not go on this course, instead spending the day at home with her feet up. Obviously that isn't going to happen so she must surely be 'at work' in some capacity?! She's on a course as part of her work surely so therefore work?

If it was a little difference then surely no problem but this is like a weeks worth of travel in a day.

Is an employer supposed to cover this extra cost or does the employee (my wife in this case) have no choice but to foot the bill?

Hermia

Every place I have worked at would pay the extra fuel costs in this situation. You were expected to reduce costs by car sharing with other attendees though. It might be worth her asking for a VAT receipt next time she buys petrol just in case they do later offer to pay.

getmore4less

Check the car insurance often this needs business cover.
Standard cover often only allow one place for commuting.

car share for work purposes would also need business cover.


Standard practice is to cover expenses although some places are mean/tight.

ohreally

Any employer I've had has paid at least mileage and subsistence allowances in addition to normal pay.

JustAnotherSaver

getmore4less wrote: »

Check the car insurance often this needs business cover.
Standard cover often only allow one place for commuting.

car share for work purposes would also need business cover.


Standard practice is to cover expenses although some places are mean/tight.

So the place of work would specifically be the place you usually go to work then, as in a single location?

Just asking this in case they say to her that she will be 'at work' - she'll be doing work in a different location that's all.

nimbo

Different work location requires business cover.

I work from multiple bases and my bosses have to see the business cover on my insurance. As you've already stated she's in a bit of a state about the driving she may benefit knowing she's appropriately covered incase she does reverse into a pole or something when parking.

TELLIT01

I don't think having to use a car to travel to a course is viewed in the same way as travelling to different locations on a regular basis. It is worth checking with the car insurer to be safe.
I would certainly expect the company to cover my additional travel costs which HMRC deem to be 45 pence per mile if using your own vehicle. Payment would be for the additional mileage over and above her normal commute. So in the OP's example it would be about 45 to 55 miles per day.
If she is so uneasy about driving is it possible to travel by public transport?

DCFC79

Wont help with the course idea but could she do with some lessons in motorway driving, would that help with her confidence ? Is the car playing up not helping with her confidence ?

bugslet

TELLIT01 wrote: »

I don't think having to use a car to travel to a course is viewed in the same way as travelling to different locations on a regular basis. It is worth checking with the car insurer to be safe.
I would certainly expect the company to cover my additional travel costs which HMRC deem to be 45 pence per mile if using your own vehicle. Payment would be for the additional mileage over and above her normal commute. So in the OP's example it would be about 45 to 55 miles per day.
If she is so uneasy about driving is it possible to travel by public transport?

The above. If I send my staff on a course away from base, they get mileage as above, plus any expenses they incur. She is at work, she is under instruction from work to be at this course.

I've never heard of having different insurance either for your personal car for attendance at a course away from your normal workbase.

bap98189

bugslet wrote: »

I've never heard of having different insurance either for your personal car for attendance at a course away from your normal workbase.

My understand of it is that if you are being paid mileage expenses then that is classed as business use. It is not normal commuting for which you do not get paid.

sangie595

It's common for additional mileage to be paid, but it isn't a right. It's possible - but not worth the hassle for this amount of travel - to reclaim against tax.

There is no need to have additional insurance - this is still commuting to a place of work, not using the car for work. However, unless the mileage is excessive, travelling for work on an occasional basis is usually free anyway, you just need to tell the insurer to get it added.