freeloading MPs claim for riding their BIKES

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  • t4tomo
    t4tomo Posts: 2,643
    Non story. They are allowed to. Rather that than £20 on a taxi for every journey
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  • majormantra
    majormantra Posts: 2,094
    Yup, total non-story. Frothing at the mouth over a few hundred quid for cycle expenses (versus how many thousand pounds for driving miles?) is bonkers Daily Mail doublethink.

    And although cycling is cheap, anyone who thinks it's free doesn't maintain their bike to a safe standard.
  • Cygnus
    Cygnus Posts: 1,879
    I think 20p per mile is reasonable, they'd be claiming more than that if they were travelling by car.
  • Mikey23
    Mikey23 Posts: 5,306
    £417.48 ... This will bring the government down

    Where was it again? Aah, the Good old Daily Mail
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,605
    Oddly I can claim exactly the same, guess I'm a freeloader saving my company money on a fuel claim whilst reducing congestion and not causing pollution. Must drive in future.
  • random man
    random man Posts: 1,518
    The Daily Mail really are desperate for a story if that's the best they can do :roll: If I used my bike for work purposes I'd be entitled to claim, but I'd rather use the firm's vans and pollute the atmosphere :D
  • Mikey23
    Mikey23 Posts: 5,306
    I think there was a bicycle mileage allowance for civil servants when I was in post..

    They were pretty desperate to find someone to give the 'absolutely scandalous' quote.. Don't fairfuel campaign for lower fuel prices? Don't quite see the connection ...
  • amaferanga
    amaferanga Posts: 6,789
    If you work for the NHS you can claim 20p per mile as well.
    More problems but still living....
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    MichaelW wrote:
    Taken for a ride: How our freewheeling, freeloading MPs claim 20p a mile on expenses... for riding their BIKES


    ...and breathe.

    I also struggle to find the will to breathe when reading the daily mail.

    The solution, is to put it down. You're immediately a better person for it. Not as good as someone who has never picked it up to begin with, but y'know, baby steps.
    _
  • BelgianBeerGeek
    BelgianBeerGeek Posts: 5,226
    Mikey23 wrote:
    I think there was a bicycle mileage allowance for civil servants when I was in post..

    They were pretty desperate to find someone to give the 'absolutely scandalous' quote.. Don't fairfuel campaign for lower fuel prices? Don't quite see the connection ...
    I can confirm that is true (for the MOD), Mikey. The military can also claim for travelling to work, as long as it's not too close, the freeloading bast***ds.
    it only applies if you are told where to live and work, so if you choose to live 50 miles away and TT in the morning, you have lucked out .
    Ecrasez l’infame
  • Giraffoto
    Giraffoto Posts: 2,078
    I saw the Mail's headline on Sunday was "Missing Airliner Pilot Was Political Fanatic". Which made me think, look who's talking . . .
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  • RedWheels
    RedWheels Posts: 56
    When David Cameron was vying for the green vote and was cycling, do you think he claimed the 40p for his cycle and the 72.2p for the car that drove his briefcase around behind him as well.

    I mean i'm all happy for the 40p but i don't want to give 72.2p to freeloading briefcases for every mile they travel also. In fact i think briefcases should loose their right to income support as well.

    I bet the leather is is made in Romania.
  • alan_sherman
    alan_sherman Posts: 1,157
    Any employee in the UK can claim the mileage allowance up to the HMRC approved allowance:
    http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/rates/travel.htm

    Anything over this is counted as a benefit and can be taxed. Anything under this amount can be claimed as tax relief.
    http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/mileage/index.htm

    So what a non-story.
  • RonB
    RonB Posts: 3,984
    As above, 20p a mile is fairly standard. Just a couple of additions, for me anyway - this does not apply to folks using the cycle to work scheme and does not apply to travel from home to work.
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    Yep, as above this just sets out the maximum your employer can reimburse you for travelling expenses before you end up being taxed on it.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,605
    RonB wrote:
    As above, 20p a mile is fairly standard. Just a couple of additions, for me anyway - this does not apply to folks using the cycle to work scheme and does not apply to travel from home to work.

    Why doesn't it apply to C2W? Does the company pay for the wear and tear on a bike you get under the scheme? Seems a ridiculous approach with no logic to it.

    The only stipulation my company has put on it is that I should only use a bike on work business when it is quicker (or at least no significantly longer) to go by bike which seems reasonable. The biggest issue in practical terms though is that I can't really turn up at a meeting all hot and sweaty, it's fine for site visits though.
  • RonB
    RonB Posts: 3,984
    I have no idea. Maybe something to do with misapplication of double counting rules; or something to do with road tax :wink:

    Since commuting is exempt I can't see it being used all that much, but I'm happy to be proved wrong.
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    Pross wrote:
    The only stipulation my company has put on it is that I should only use a bike on work business when it is quicker (or at least no significantly longer) to go by bike which seems reasonable. The biggest issue in practical terms though is that I can't really turn up at a meeting all hot and sweaty, it's fine for site visits though.

    Which is how I get away with occasionally cycling from Leeds to York for work. On the touring bike it takes about a 2 hours and 20 minutes door to door which is about five minutes longer than it takes by train only with less risk of delays and less faffing about! 72 mile round trip!
    Faster than a tent.......
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,605
    How does a 36 mile train trip take over 2 hours? :shock:

    I can do a day at my Bristol office as the trip is in my own time. 30 miles each way. Saves the company £10 parking and the bridge toll.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    Has the OP disappeared in embarrassment?

    Hopefully he'll work out that mentioning daily mail articles without contempt or scorn in public usually bounces back on you.
    _
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    Pross wrote:
    How does a 36 mile train trip take over 2 hours? :shock:

    I can do a day at my Bristol office as the trip is in my own time. 30 miles each way. Saves the company £10 parking and the bridge toll.

    Ahh well, it isn't quite that simple.

    Train option: cycle 10 miles to train station leaving enough time to catch train. Get changed at cycle point, catch train (1 hour). Relaxing train trip to York - 30 minutes assuming no delays. At York, retrieve pool bicycle from station (20 minutes) and cycle to office (25 minutes). Or, when pool bike not available, take taxi to office - 30 minutes if queue for cab not too long and traffic not too busy.

    Cycle option: cycle 35 miles to York. 2 hrs 20 minutes.

    There's just a lot more faffing with the train option.
    Faster than a tent.......
  • awavey
    awavey Posts: 2,368
    Pross wrote:
    How does a 36 mile train trip take over 2 hours? :shock:

    called the london underground isnt it :D
  • desweller
    desweller Posts: 5,175
    awavey wrote:
    Pross wrote:
    How does a 36 mile train trip take over 2 hours? :shock:

    called the london underground isnt it :D

    That's waaaaay too fast for the Tube. 2 hours for 8 miles, more like it sometimes.
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