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Reimbursement, Reward and Recognition Guide

Our Aim is that you will

not be out of pocket by

helping us in various roles.

This Guide applies to members of the

public who help out the Sussex NHS

Commissioners in different activities.

The Activities you may do fall into three

categories.

A. Attending a public or open-access

event as a member of the public.

You will not be paid or have your

expenses paid back.

B. Getting involved in a one-off event

which doesn’t need much

preparation. Your expenses will be

paid back.

C. Getting involved in a longer term

project or a project which needs

more preparation. Your expenses

will be paid back and you will be

offered a recognition payment.

We will pay you by bank

transfer or cheque.

Sometimes you may be

offered cash or vouchers.

You will need to fill out a

claim form for all

expenses and recognition

payments. We will need

receipts for any

expenses.

We will pay back any

reasonable expenses

incurred:

Travel costs to and

from activities.

Food and drinks, if

you are away from

home for some time.

Care costs, if they

are directly linked to

your activities with us.

Office supplies, £2.50

for each meeting.

You will need to think about:

How being paid will affect your taxes.

Whether any payments you rare

given will affect your benefits.

We can give you information in this guide,

but it is your responsibility to make sure

there are no problems.

Remember, helping the Sussex NHS

Commissioners is not a job! Find out

more in the Frequently Asked Questions.

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1 Who can claim for expenses and a recognition payment?

1.1 You can claim for your expenses and (if offered) a recognition

payment, if you are a patient, carer, or a member of the public

helping, or working with, the Sussex NHS Commissioners.

2 What different roles are covered by the reward, recognition and

reimbursement procedure?

2.1 Role 1: People who choose to respond or comment on online

surveys or questionnaires. No expenses can be claimed.

2.2 Role 2: Carrying out one-off activities (for example, attending an

event or workshop). Out of pocket expenses can be claimed.

2.3 Role 3: People who take part in the People’s Panel and fill out a

survey and are entered into a prize draw. No expenses can be

claimed.

2.4 Role 4: Attending regular working group meetings, using your

experience and interest in the subject. Out of pocket expenses can

be claimed, and a recognition payment of £25 per half day will

be offered.

2.5 Role 5: Working in a role where you have to show leadership and

help make important decisions. Out of pocket expenses will can be

claimed, and a recognition payment of £50 per half day will be

offered.

3 Will my out of pocket expenses be repaid?

3.1 Your out of pocket expenses will be repaid as long as they are

reasonable, have been agreed in advance and as long as they are

not higher than the agreed rates of payment.

3.1 You will need to give us your receipts (or copies of your receipts).

You will only be repaid for the money you actually spent, not for

rough figures or rounded amounts. If you have a problem with giving

us a receipt, you should talk to the Activity Coordinator.

Frequently Asked Questions

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4 What travel expenses can be claimed?

4.1 You should use public transport (i.e. train or bus travel) when

practical, safe and reasonable.

4.2 You should travel by standard class on public transport, unless you

have health or access needs which mean you need a first class

ticket.

4.3 You must give us receipts for the use of public transport which show

the price of your ticket and the date of the journey.

4.4 If you can’t use public transport to get to activities because of issues

with public transport in your area or your health or mobility needs,

then you can travel by private car or taxis but you should talk to the

Activity Coordinator in the first instance.

5 Can I travel in my own car?

5.1 You can claim money for the cost of petrol. If you gave someone

else who was taking part in the activity a lift, you can also claim

money for your passenger.

5.2 You will be paid at the rates agreed by HMRC. You can find the most

up-to-date rates here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/

rates-and-allowances-travel-mileage-and-fuel-allowances/travel-

mileage-and-fuel-rates-and-allowances

5.3 You can claim for car parking receipts, as long as you give us

receipts which show the cost of car parking.

6 What food and drink costs will be repaid?

6.1 You may find that you are away from home for some hours due to

your involvement in our activities. If this happens, you can claim for

money spent on food and drinks to be repaid, up to a maximum

amount.

6.2 You will need to agree this with the Activity Coordinator ahead of

time, and you will need to provide receipts to show what you have

spent.

6.3 The table on the next page shows the maximum amount that you

can claim for each meal, and how long you have to have been away

from home to claim it.

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6.4 This does not mean you will get, for example, £5 for lunch, no matter

what you spent. Instead, it means that you can claim back up to £5

for lunch. So if you spend £4.30 on lunch, we will pay you back

£4.30. If you spend £7.20 on lunch, we will pay you back £5.

6.5 You can’t claim back the cost of any alcoholic drinks.

6.6 If food and drink is provided at a meeting, you can’t claim back the

cost of any food, unless you have special dietary needs which

haven’t been catered for. If this happens, you will need to agree that

you will buy your own food with the Activity Coordinator before the

event. The maximum amounts still apply.

7 What care costs will be repaid?

7.1 You can only claim for care costs if they are costs you have had to

pay because you have been involved in activities with us.

7.2 You will need to agree this with the Activity Coordinator before the

event.

7.3 You can only claim back care costs from someone who is registered

to give care and who can give you an official receipt. If you ask a

friend or someone from your family to help you, you can’t claim

back any money you might want to give them.

7.4 You will need to pay the costs of your care and then claim it back.

We can’t pay carers directly.

7.5 If your child would normally have been in childcare at the time of the

activity, you can’t claim back care costs.

7.6 If you are a carer and you need to employ a carer from a care

agency to look after someone else so you can attend an activity, you

can claim back care costs.

Breakfast (when leaving home before 7am) Up to a maximum of £5

Lunch (when away from home for more than 4 hours including between the hours of 12noon and 2pm)

Up to a maximum of £5

Evening meal (when away from home after 5pm) Up to a maximum of £15

Maximum total claim per 24 hour period Up to a maximum of £25

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7.7 If you need the help of a personal care assistant or a support worker

to carry out the activity you can claim back care costs.

7.8 If you want to be supported by a friend, family member or an informal

carer to help you carry out an activity, you can’t claim back care

costs, but you can claim back their other expenses (for example

travel expenses or food and drink).

8 Can I claim back money for office supplies?

8.1 When you are attending a meeting, we will try and send out

paperwork in advance. But we know this is not always possible.

8.2 We realise that sometimes you may use home office supplies when

working with us, for example paper and printer ink. We also realise

you may make calls or use your internet connection to join in

meetings.

8.3 We can’t repay you directly for the cost of ink, paper, telephone calls

or internet bills.

8.4 We do offer an allowance of £2.50 per meeting to cover these costs.

You do not need to provide receipts. You should talk to the Activity

Coordinator before claiming this.

9 I am getting a recognition payment. What about my income tax?

9.1 You need to make sure that any income tax due on your recognition

payments is paid. If you have any questions or concerns, you should

talk to your local tax office. (HMRC Helpline 0300 200 3311).

9.2 If you are self-employed, you need to declare your recognition

payments on your tax return and keep your records and

documentation up –to-date.

9.3 Sussex NHS Commissioners have to give accurate information about

money you have been paid if asked for this information by HMRC.

10 I am getting a recognition payment. What about my benefits?

10.1 Care costs and recognition payments are taxable income. They may

affect your benefits. You can get advice from the Job Centre: https://

www.gov.uk/contact-jobcentre-plus.

10.2 If you get state benefits, you need to tell the benefits agency about

your recognition payments.

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10.3 You should check with the benefits agency to see if there are any

limits on how much you can be paid in recognition payments.

10.4 Sussex NHS Commissioners have to give accurate information about money you have been paid if asked for this information by the benefits agency.

10.5 Your ability to carry out activities for us does not necessarily mean

that you are capable of starting paid employment or that you are fit to

work.

10.6 It is important that you understand that while you may be offered a

recognition payment for work you have done, this does not make you

an employee of the Sussex NHS Commissioners.

11 How do I make a claim for expenses and / or a recognition

payment?

11.1 You will need to ask for a claim form from the Activity Coordinator.

11.2 You will need to provide receipts (or copies) and fill out all of the

form.

11.3 If you are having trouble of any kind in filling out your claim form, you

should talk to the Activity Coordinator.

11.4 When you have completed your claim for, you should give it back to

the Activity Coordinator for them to sign and process.

11.5 You may be able to be repaid on the day for some expenses.

11.6 You can’t be paid your recognition payment on the day.

11.7 Recognition payments and any expenses not repaid on the day will

usually be paid by cheque or bank transfer, but sometimes you will

be offered cash or vouchers.

11.8 If you are working with us on a regular basis, you may be asked to fill

out a Bank Automated Credit System (BACS) form so that we can

pay you automatically. Payments may take up to 30 days to come

through when using this system.

11.9 You can only claim for your own expenses and those of a carer or

support worker. You can’t claim for expenses on behalf of someone

else.

11.10 You need to give us your claim form within three months of the

activity.

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12 What do I need to include with my claim form?

12.1 You need to give us proof of all your expenses. This will usually be a

receipt or ticket (or a copy).

12.2 If you find it hard to include a receipt (for example, because you have

used your Oyster Card), you can give us copies of bills, computer

printouts or screenshots from your phone, highlighting the expense

you would like repaid.

12.3 If you have lost a receipt, you need talk to the Activity Coordinator.

13 When can I not claim for expenses and a recognition payment?

13.1 You can’t claim for your expenses or a recognition payment if you are

being paid or rewarded by another organisation for carrying out the

activity.

13.2 If you are a carer who is supporting someone else in their activities

with us, you can’t claim the recognition payment for yourself.

13.3 You can choose not to claim for a recognition payment, but if you do

this, no-one else can claim for the recognition payment instead of

you.

13.4 If you are given a car parking fine or a public transport fine, you can’t

claim this on your expenses.

14 Who should I contact if I have any questions?

14.1 If you have any further questions about the Reimbursement, Reward

and Recognition Procedure, you should talk to your Activity

Coordinator.

Thank you for helping us with our work.

If you have any questions… just ask!

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