EXCESS TRAVEL/RELOCATION EXPENSES
CLAIMING FOR EXCES MILEAGE & RELOCATION COSTS
Rotational training posts inevitably mean that sometimes, trainees will need to commute longer distances to get to their workplace. Health Education England (HEE) provides recompense for excess mileage expenses (payable at reserve/PTR rate: 30p/mile as of 1st January 2023). These claims are made via Lead Employer for Paediatric trainees in HEE NW and make use of the EASY Expenses system.
Excess mileage is defined as commutes exceeding 17 miles one-way (from home to place of work). For example, if your home is 25 miles away from your place of work, you will be eligible to claim 8 miles of excess mileage one-way (16 miles of excess mileage for a return journey).
Where daily travel distances are agreed to be excessive, alternative arrangements may be considered, including temporary accommodation expenses (subject to max monthly allowance inclusive of one journey to and from home each week).
If a trainee commuting long distances identifies a day or a run of shifts where they would prefer to stay in temporary accommodation close to their place of work, they can claim their excess mileage as usual and use this to fund the cost of their accommodation for the nights required. A trainee cannot claim twice (e.g. claim for mileage and temporary accommodation as separate).
Business mileage refer to travel on official NHS business that is separate from the commute from home to place of work. This may be relevant for trainees needing to attend clinics or multi-professional meetings that are off-site as part of their clinical responsibility. Importantly, the miles that are eligible to be claimed are those that exceed the distance from home to place of work.
For example, if the distance from home to place of work is 15 miles, eligible miles only start once more than 15 miles have been travelled for business-related purposes. If the trainee travels from home > alternate place of work > home and the total distance is 35 miles, only 5 miles are eligible for business claim (usual return distance is 30 miles). Alternatively, if the total distance is less than usual, there will be no miles eligible for claim.
If the trainee must travel home > usual place of work > alternate place of work > home, it is only the eligible miles exceeding the usual 30 mile return distance that can be claimed.
Relocation/removal expenses refer to expenses associated with trainees having to
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move to take up appointment of a training post that last a minimum of 2 years
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rotate to different geographical areas as part of their training programme (OOPEs not applicable)
If the trainee is buying their first property or are moving from one rental property to another, they may only claim the cost of removal of furniture and effects (up to maximum of £500) and for expenses related to searching for accommodation.
Any expenses claimed will be included within the maximum allowance of £10,000 over the entirety of the trainee's training. See HEE Relocation & Travel Expenses Guidance for full details.
For those having to sell/purchase a new property, claimable expenses include those associated with:
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house sale
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house purchase
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storage and removal of furniture/effects
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continuing commitments
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rental agency fees
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incidental expenses
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temporary accommodation expenses
Eligibility summary
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For excess mileage claims, commutes must exceed 17 miles one-way and is paid at 30p per excess mile
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Where trainee's permanent residence is outside of the relevant HEE regional footprint and they choose not to relocate, there is no entitlement to excess mileage unless the residence is within reasonable commuting distance of the majority of the placements on their training programme. Otherwise, any agreement of financial assistance will be subject to Postgraduate Dean agreement on grounds of exceptional personal circumstances.
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Payment for excess mileage is limited to 53 excess miles each way per day (i.e. total journey of 70 miles one-way), except where individual discussions/arrangements have been agreed upon.
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For business mileage claims, eligible miles refer to those in excess of usual commute from home to usual place of work. This additional travel must be for official NHS business carried out as part of the trainee's clinical responsibility.
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Alternative forms of transport for mileage claims
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Public transport; trainees may claim expenses based on equivalent mileage as per Reserve/PTR mileage rate
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Cycling; trainees travelling by bicycle may claim expenses at 20p/mile for miles exceeding 17 miles each way
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For removal expenses, trainees should relocate their primary residence
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at least 30 miles from their previous residence OR at least 1 hour's travel time in normal traffic
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AND live within 'reasonable commute' (no further than 20 miles each way) of the majority of the anticipated prospective hospitals/placements in their programme
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Applying for Excess/Business Mileage Travel Claims
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Excess Mileage claims are made via Lead Employer using the EASY Expenses system
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Trainees must self-register
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Following registration, access the EASY system and set up an Approving Manager
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Who this is will depend on your workplace, but this could be your line manager, medical staffing manager, rota-coordinator, etc.
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Trainees are responsible for identifying your Approving Manager
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The Approving Manager will need to complete a New Approver Form if they have not already done so
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Excess mileage claims can only be claimed after the travel has been completed and will be paid in your following pay-slip once this is authorised
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