Home Office T&S Rates

During June 2022, PCS wrote to Home Office demanding that there is an increase in travel and subsistence rates to reflect the significant increase in costs of travel. PCS outlined the following costs to the Department:

In accordance with the above, PCS invited negotiations based on these figures. Unfortunately, Home Office did not accept the invitations to negotiate on these levels. However, as a result of our challenge they were able to make changes to the rates for mileage and caps for subsistence.

The amendments are listed below:

Hotels

The UK hotels cap will increase to £150 in London, and £100 nationally.

UK mileage

Where members need to use their private vehicle, and this has been pre-approved by a line manager, business mileage (subject to the annual 10,000 mile cap) will be paid at the standard rate per mile (45p). The lower public transport mileage rate will be withdrawn from 1 November.

The standard rate mileage will also apply to members who claim excess fares allowance.

Excess Fares

Members who are currently in receipt of excess fares allowance and believe that their allowance has been assessed using the public transport mileage rate will need to email SSCL to ask for their entitlement to be recalculated. Colleagues whose journey is not based on their use of a private vehicle do not need to apply, as their allowance will not change.

Subsistence

Home Office policy sets limits for subsistence based on hours spent away from the home location. Home Office believe that the rates are intended to meet the additional costs incurred while travelling, not the full cost.

Home Office identified two meal subsistence rates as being most impacted by the rising cost of living. These are the ‘More than 5 hours but less than 10 hours rate’ and the ‘Over 12 hours with an early start rate’.

The ‘More than 5 hours but less than 10 hours rate’ will increase from £5 to £6.50. The ‘Over 12 hours with an early start rate’ will increase from £15.00 to £16.50, with the early start element (included within that rate) going up from £5 to £6.50.

PCS are disappointed that the increases do not meet our cost of living demands but welcome the changes as they will at least go some way towards helping towards the cost associated with business travel. We will continue to campaign where we can improve these rates to ease the burden of this current cost of living crisis.

Pete Wright (Group Vice President)