1.1 Employees required to use a vehicle for the efficient performance of their duties will be eligible to receive certain allowances for the use of their cars or Council vehicles on business dependant on their post and band. All allowances must be in accordance with this policy and authorised by the Service Manager.

1.2 The Council has differentlevels of allowances for employees who usetheir vehicle on Council business.

· Essential User Allowance & Mileage Rate

· Casual User MileageRate

· Using Council Vehiclesfor Home to Work Journeys

1.3 The council also operates an Assisted Car Purchase Scheme.

2. Individuals Affected

2.1 All Employees of NFDC who use their private vehicles on Council businessor who use a Council Vehicle for home to work mileage.

3. Delegated Authority

3.1 Only the Service Manager can designate an essentialcar user or designate a new or vacant post as requiring an essential car user.

4. General Rules

4.1 All Employees of NFDC who use their private vehicles on Council business or who use a Council Vehicle are required to complete the Driving Safely E-Learning module and read the Occupational Road Risk Policy. Corporate ORR Grey Fleet Policy 2023 .pdf

4.1 All employees who use their cars on the Council’s business musthave and produce a valid driving licence.

4.2 All employees who use their cars on the Council’s business, including to attend training courses or conferences, must have and produce a current insurance certificate if requested. The insurance certificate must include a ‘business usage’ clause indemnifying the Council against all third-party claims (including those concerning passengers) that arise whilst using the vehicle on Council business.

4.3 All employees who use their cars on the Council’s business must have and produce a current MOT certificate if requested for their vehicle prior to using it on Council business.

4.4 An employee using their car on Council business without the valid insurance and MOT certificates cannot claim for mileage and will be in breach of Council regulations and may be subject to disciplinary procedures.

4.5 All drivers shouldconduct regular safetychecks and maintenance on their vehicles.

4.6 Employees should have regular eyesight tests and wear any glasses prescribed for driving purposes at all times when driving on NFDC business.

4.7 Employees will notify the DVLA and their managers of any physical or mental disability or condition which currently affects or impairs their ability to drive.

4.8 No allowances or mileage claims will be paid withoutproof of these documents.

4.9 The correct procedures must be used for claimingall car and mileage allowances.

4.10 None of the Council’s Car Allowances count towards pensionable pay.

5 Essential User Allowance

5.1 Employees who are required to have a vehicle available at all times or are regarded as visiting officers and require the ability to access all areas of the district on a regular basis are entitled to receive the Essential User Allowance. Essential user authorisation is given by the relevant Service Manager. This is paid monthly. Eligible posts include those up to and including Band 10.

5.2 The Essential User Allowance rate remains fixed and any changes to the rate will be communicated in the normal way.

5.3 Employees in receiptof the Essential User Allowance will claim businessmileage at the agreed HMRC rate. Any changes to this rate will be communicated in the normal way. Mileage rates are available on Forestnet and attached in the appendices below.

5.4 Employees in receipt of the EssentialUser Allowance must have a car available at all times for use on Council business. Failure to do so may result in a non payment of this allowance.

5.5 Employees will continue to receive the Essential User Allowance for as long as they remain eligible in accordance with these criteria. Should the employee move to a different post for whatever reason which does not meet this criteria they will no longer be eligible for this allowance.

6 Casual User Allowance

6.1 Casual Users are those employees who are required at times to use their own vehicles, this is normally due to attendance at pre planned meetings or events. They are not required to have a car available at all times.

6.2 Employees in this category will claim any business mileage at the casual user allowance rate. Any changes to this rate will be communicated in the normal way. Mileage rates are available on Forestnet, and attached in the appendices below.

7 Using a Council Vehicle For Home To Work Journeys

7.1 Employees who use a Council Vehicle to travel to and from home to their normal place of work are required to make a contribution of 13p per mile for fuel. This amount is payable after the first 10 miles of your home to base mileage each way.

7.2 This contribution will be cappedat £500 per annum.

7.3 The HR Admin team will calculate the mileage based on the shortest possible route. This information will be clearly detailed in the contract of employment.

7.4 Employees must notify their manager and payroll if their personal details change which may result in a different contribution calculation.

7.5 Regular review of payments will be undertaken by Payroll to ensure the correct contribution is still in place.

8 Procedure For Claiming Allowances & Mileage

8.1 Where a monthly allowance is paid, these are processed automatically by Payroll provided proof of valid insurance(including business usage) and MOT certificates have been produced by the employee.

8.2 All mileage claims must be completed on-line using the travel claim system via the HR Hub.

8.3 All mileage claimsmust be checkedand approved by the employee’s line manager before payment is made.

8.4 Mileage must be claimed withinthree months of the journey. Claims after this period may not be paid.

8.5 Claims for periodsending 31 March each year must bemade by the 30^th April each year.

8.6 If an official journey commencesfrom the employee’s home, the distance between home and the normal work base must be deducted from the journey and not claimed for. This is a requirement of the Inland Revenue.

Appendices

Schedule of current allowances – August 2024

	Mileage Rate per mile first 10000	Mileage Rate Per mile after 10,000	Lump Sum (per annum) All cc
Essential User Including Electric Vehicles	45p	25p	£1239.00
Casual User Including Electric Vehicles	65p	25p	-
Each Passenger	5p	-	-
Bicycles 20p	20p	-	-
Motorcycles (All cc)	24p	24p	-

Essential User Scheme(Band 10 andbelow)

The EssentialUser allowance only applies to jobs that arevisiting officers or jobs that manage across more than one site (average of 2500 miles per annum) and agreed by the Service Manager. Existing employees who choose or request to change their contract of employment will be subject to this policy.

Council Vehicles for Work that are taken home

For those employees who are issued with a council vehicle, the council will pay the first 10 miles to and from work. Employees who work more than 10 miles away from their work base will make a contribution of 13p per mile towards the fuel they use, and this will be capped at £500 per annum. Existing employees who chooseor request to change theircontract of employment will be subjectto this policy.

Business travel and hotel bookings

All requests for rail, air, coach and hotel bookings should be done through your Purchase Co-ordinator.

In respectof hotel bookings, to ensure ‘valuefor money’, all bookings will be made using the council’s ‘preferred’ hotels, these are Travel Lodge, Premier Inn, Ibis, Novotel, Holiday Inn.

Employees will onlybe able to stay at theactual hotel that is being used for the training event or conference if this is included in the cost of the event or if there is no hotel from the preferred list within walking distance of the venue.

If an employee stays with a friend or family member,the Council will pay £25.

Meals

The cost ofmeals will only be reimbursed where these are taken outsideof the District Council boundary, and where supported by receipts. Reasonable expenses approved by the relevant Business Unit Manager will be reimbursed.