Close
Changes to UCL's expenses policy
23 November 2023
UMC has approved changes to the accommodation and subsistence sections of UCL's expenses policy. Find out more about the changes, which come into effect this month.
The University Management Committee has approved uplifts to the accommodation and subsistence rates in our expenses policy, as well as further changes that will allow our staff greater flexibility and discretion when travelling. As noted at the recent all-staff Town Hall,听this听policy has not been updated for some time听and this is the first step of a planned comprehensive review of our financial policies.
What is changing?
For UK travel, subsistence and hotel rates have been increased to align with current prices and give our staff greater flexibility when setting their travel plans. These rates will also be reviewed annually to ensure that they remain appropriate.
For overseas travel, we have removed fixed rates for subsistence and accommodation entirely, and instead provide tools and guidance to support staff in determining what a reasonable level of spend would across a full range of overseas destinations.
The primary changes, effective for travel from 27 November 2023, are:
- Increases in UK accommodation and subsistence rates put us towards the top end of benchmarked HEIs with an additional increase of 10% to offset the impact of recent inflation. Unreceipted rates have also been increased in line with HMRC guidance. The new rates are summarised in the FAQ sheet linked to听below.
- Introduction of an aggregate 24-hour rate for UK subsistence to allow further flexibility across meals for staff staying away for at least 24 hours.
- Removal of fixed limits for overseas accommodation and subsistence, and replacement with a framework of expected standards to guide future claims. This will enable greater flexibility and discretion when travelling and allow a consistent standard of support across destinations with varying economic conditions and costs of living.
- Adjustment to the childcare policy to allow staff to claim in line with their research funder鈥檚 allowance rather than a set amount per head. This will allow staff to access the full benefit of these allowances without the current risk of grant expenditure being deemed ineligible due to exceeding current fixed rates.
A full review of the expenses policy will be undertaken in the first half of 2024, but in the meantime all other aspects of the policy will remain in place.