Add a subsistence claim
Subsistence is a fixed allowance for time you spent away from your normal place of work. You do not enter a cost or attach a receipt. The amount comes from the jurisdiction’s rate table. If you want to be repaid for what you actually spent on a hotel or a meal, add an expense instead.
Before you begin
Section titled “Before you begin”- You hold the Employee role and the sheet is a Draft.
- Your company’s scheme has subsistence switched on. If the Subsistence tab does not accept new claims, ask an Administrator.
- You know the date, the times you left and returned, and where you went.
Add a subsistence claim
Section titled “Add a subsistence claim”-
Open the sheet and select the Subsistence tab, then choose New.
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Choose the Type: Day or Overnight in Ireland, or Meal in the United Kingdom. The steps below describe an Irish claim. A UK meal claim is described under UK meal claims.
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Enter the Activity date, Departure and Return time. For an overnight claim, enter the Return date as well. The activity date is the night you started.
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Enter the Location and the Purpose. Reference is optional.
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Read the statements under “Each statement is unticked until you confirm it”, and tick each one that is true. For a Day claim in Ireland they are:
- I was temporarily away from my normal place of work in the performance of my duties.
- The place is not within 8 km of home and not within 8 km of the normal place of work.
- The absence does not include a night away.
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Choose Save.
The claim appears in the table with the allowance that applies and an explanation of how it was worked out.
How the allowance is decided
Section titled “How the allowance is decided”The allowance depends on how long you were away, measured exactly, not rounded to the nearest hour. In Ireland, a Day claim of at least 5 hours and under 10 hours pays one amount, and at least 10 hours pays a higher one. An Overnight claim pays a single rate and does not add a day rate. The rates are shown on the scheme page and in the claim’s explanation.
The explanation also says: “This is the allowance from the jurisdiction rate version. It is not a tax-clearance decision.”
UK meal claims
Section titled “UK meal claims”In the United Kingdom subsistence is a meal allowance, based on HMRC’s benchmark scale rates. There is no overnight allowance, so a hotel is an expense. Enter the date, times, location and purpose as for an Irish claim, then tick the three statements, which must all be true:
- The travel was in the performance of your duties, or to a temporary workplace, and was not ordinary commuting.
- You bought a meal (food and drink) on this travel.
- That meal is not included in an accommodation payment or another expense.
The allowance depends on the hours you were away on the activity date, counted in UK time, and measured exactly:
| Time away on the date | Allowance |
|---|---|
| At least 5 hours | £5 |
| At least 10 hours | £10 |
| At least 15 hours, including 8pm | £25 |
| At least 15 hours, not including 8pm | £10 |
If you were away for 5 hours or more but under 15 and you were still away at 8pm, £10 is added. You were still away at 8pm when you left at or before 20:00 and returned after it. A return at exactly 20:00 does not count. The claim’s explanation shows the hours, the 8pm result and the rate that was used. For more about MileageSheet in the UK, see mileagesheet.co.uk.
What happens next
Section titled “What happens next”The claim belongs to the month’s sheet. It stays editable while the sheet is a Draft and is frozen when you submit. A subsistence claim is independent: changing a related journey later does not change it.
Common issues
Section titled “Common issues”The claim shows no amount
Section titled “The claim shows no amount”One of the statements is not ticked, or the times do not meet the minimum (for example, under 5 hours away). Open the claim, check the times and the statements, and save again.
You can also be suggested claims
Section titled “You can also be suggested claims”For absences that qualify, the Suggestions drawer on the Mileage tab offers a ready-made subsistence claim. See Use templates and suggestions.