Civil Service Motoring Expenses - What Mileage to Claim for

What mileage should be claimed for a trip in the Civil Service? The actual mileage travelled or the shortest route as per route planner? I am being told it is the shortest or most direct route but after a lot of searching and reading, including workplace policy and revenue websites, I cannot find this WRITTEN anywhere. Any ideas?

Note: The policy regarding starting point (whether place of work or home) is clear (and debatable...).

You would have to justify not taking the shortest route. The most obvious justification is saving time. For example, there would be little argument about using the M50 to get from, say, Ballymun to Blackrock (and you should also be entitled to claim the toll).

iamaspinner said:

What mileage should be claimed for a trip in the Civil Service? The actual mileage travelled or the shortest route as per route planner? I am being told it is the shortest or most direct route but after a lot of searching and reading, including workplace policy and revenue websites, I cannot find this WRITTEN anywhere. Any ideas?

Note: The policy regarding starting point (whether place of work or home) is clear (and debatable...).

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The idea that you could claim for a longer journey than necessary is a nonsense. THe organisation will have a policy on economic claims. Shortest and most direct journey only can be claimed.

I believe there is something in our financial procedures (HSE) that it's the shortest route but I'm not 100%. In my workplace (presume this is a national) you now have to confirm that public transport wasn't available or if it was why you didn't use it.

When I worked in Galway there was approved miles to locations. So UCGH to Mayo was 50 miles and if someone claimed 52, it was amended to 50.

In limerick there is a list but a lot of locations are not included so I use AA.

Thanks for the replies. I am really looking for the WRITTEN word that it is the shortest route I must claim for. We have a written policy but cannot find this point anywhere in it.

Slim said:

The idea that you could claim for a longer journey than necessary is a nonsense. THe organisation will have a policy on economic claims. Shortest and most direct journey only can be claimed.

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I disagree. What I think it's nonsense is going through e.g. Dublin city centre at 9:00am and 5:00pm and being stuck in traffic. Taking a less direct route (e.g. M50) would mean saving time. Bear in mind that a couple of hours stuck in traffic may mean a higher rate in subsistence expenses. So a few more miles could be cheaper for the employer at the end of the day.