Councillor, Officer and Volunteer Expenses Policy

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 Document Title: Councillor, Officer and Volunteer Expenses Policy

1. Background

Macclesfield Town Council will reimburse Councillors, officers and volunteers for reasonable expenses wholly, necessarily and exclusively incurred in connection with its business. Councillors, officers and volunteers should not be either financially disadvantaged or advantaged because of genuine Town Council expenses.

Councillors, officers and volunteers are responsible for the payment of all expenses they incur, except where there are direct settlement arrangements with suppliers in place. Breach of this policy is a disciplinary offence. Deliberate falsification of a claim or the evidence needed to make a claim will constitute misconduct. “Falsification” includes the failure to pass on any discount obtained in the course of incurring an expense.

The following items are allowable expenses. In all cases Councillors, officers and volunteers should submit all invoices and receipts.

2. Travel

 Macclesfield Town Council will reimburse the reasonable costs of amounts necessarily expended on travelling in the performance of the duties of the employment, for example to events, external meetings, training etc.

This does not include travel between home and office unless the employee is recognised as being a “contractual home-based employee”.

Councillors, officers and volunteers should travel by the most cost-effective mode of transport taking into account journey time and the nature of the journey as well as the monetary cost.

2.1             By Councillor, officers and volunteers own car/motorcycle/bike

The mileage allowance is set by reference to the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) rules on AMAPs (Approved Mileage Allowance Payments). These are currently as follows:

Councillors, officers and volunteers are required to keep track of business mileage incurred in the tax year (1 April to 31 March) to ensure the correct rates are used.

If a Councillor, officer or volunteer carries any other Councillor, officer or volunteer in their own car or van on business travel, that Councillor, officer or volunteer can claim 5p per passenger per business mile. The passengers must be a Councillors, officer and volunteer and they must also be travelling on business journeys.

Where a Councillor, officer or volunteer uses their own vehicle, they should ensure that the vehicle is in good working order, fully insured, taxed and MOT’d.

3. Procedures for making an expense claim

Expense claim forms are available from the Town Council office.

4. Gifts

Whatever gift or hospitality is provided to you, other than a gift or hospitality of nominal value only (such as drink, or small items of stationery), you should report the circumstances and the type of hospitality to the Town Clerk. Small insignificant gifts of a value of less than £50, such as pens, diaries, calendars, mouse mats or mugs, may be accepted.

In order to protect your position and the reputation of your Council, you should exercise caution in accepting any gifts or hospitality which are (or which you reasonably believe to be) offered to you because you are an officer. The presumption should always be not to accept significant gifts or hospitality. However, there may be times when such a refusal may be difficult if it is seen as rudeness in which case you could accept it but must ensure it is publicly registered.