Mileage and travel for work

[ThatBluntLimeStork]

Just Realised I don't have business insurance and wanted to make a claim for work mileage. Can't do it because I need business insurance. I sometimes travel to one office so use commuting insurance. Sometimes to another office within a couple of miles and insurance stated it was ok.

However I've been travelling miles for work this week and now I think I'll be trouble for work.

I'm not Required to have a car for work, don't get an allowance and have agile contract.

Will I be in trouble?

I accept I've just wasted a tank of petrol with my travel.

Ps work also have a car park we have registered with, so they do know we drive

Why? We all use our own cars unless it's the works van.

This sort of thing pisses me off. Yes you need business insurance but why didn’t your work check this before hand? They seem to have policies that only suit them - a policy should be to ensure all staff are safe and legal at all times. Not allow them to do the driving and then say oh we can’t pay mileage for that. Saves them a few bob to be so disorganised doesn’t it.

It might be in a policy that I've never read... I wasn't required to show insurance before I started the job or made clear as part of onboarding, but I guess it's my car... But I also think they need to take responsibility as well. If I crashed, would that be it?

We have an agile contract as well.

It's annoying as it's only a few pounds more expensive

this isn’t on you. It’s as important as your right to work docs. I’m sure they checked that but as part of due diligence etc they should also have a copy of your insurance including cover for business purposes. They fact they don’t suggests ignorance or carelessness

It's an agile contract and I don't have essential travel, so I think that's why colleagues have docs checked and get an allowance.

No need to be rude, I have plenty of brain cells than you very much.

My insurance specifies travelling to and from work but is not business insurance. If I work from a different office on a rare occasion (or used to, I don't work there any longer) then I could claim mileage and I was still travelling to and from work. HR didn't check anything.

Did you claim mileage and submit distance etc or was it a lump sum?

I think hmrc require business insurance

Add it on? It costs nothing most of the time! Nominal if anything!

I’m a civil servant and if I use my car to drive other than to my normal office I need business insurance and to show proof of it to claim mileage.

But as soon as they know you need to drive to a different location - they can easily start the process.

You are way over thinking this.

They just won’t pay your expenses.

You didn’t have an accident so just sort it for next time and stop over thinking it.

I used to visit clients at their premises. hR kept a copy of my business insurance on file.

It's part of the contract. We are supposed to be agile to work from the hubs we have, as needed. Although I've never read or been presented the policy.

Yes I like to worry

Did they pay you?

Insurance is pretty straightforward. Commuting includes to your regular place of business, anything outside of that requires business use which these days isn’t too expensive compared to a few years ago.

where it will make a difference is with expenses as there are different pence per mile rates depending on what your contract states ref regular or infrequent car user. And your company should be checking the insurance arrangements everyone who claims mileage has in place - it’s what’s known as ‘grey fleet’ - to ensure they have appropriate coverage.

if you’ve been driving your car on business outside of the normal commuting parameters then technically you’ve been driving uninsured. You’re not alone, there’s many who don’t understand/appreciate that.

I actually checked with insurance and it was ok.

Ive got business now to claim expenses going forward

They can't as contract is agile, so we have a HO but also expected to travel elsewhere. I'm not required to have a car for my job but required to attend those meetings....

Travel to hubs for meetings.

Yes this is totally on me but yes the business needs to check as well

Right but you are using your car for business, so either you need to pay for business cover on your motor insurance or they have to provide you with a method of transport...otherwise your insurance is pretty much void apart from the injury you might have caused to another person. They would also be vicariously liable under English law.

I think you are missing the point. Your employer requires you to travel for business. To do this and be reimbursed for using your own car you need the correct insurance. This will cost you money. Therefore they should either pay for the extra cover or provide transport for you.

I worked for a large insurance company and if I had used my car for what you did I would be sacked. I either hired or had a company car.

If you’re agile and it’s a reasonable expectation that you will drive there and need to be correctly insured as part of that, then they should check from the get go. If it’s not expected, then once they ask you the. They need to make sure you’re safe. Don’t excuse them. They’ve dropped the ball.

I'm not sure how im "missing the point" when I've made it clear I've bought business insurance

Yes it's such a bad area...