In many roles, employees use their own vehicles for work purposes – police officers are no exception.

Travel of up to 100 miles within a single shift does not require prior authorisation, with officers expected to choose the most efficient routes. However, when expenses need to be claimed, the process can feel complex.

These FAQs set out your entitlements and explain how to submit a claim with ease.

Expenses

Can I claim mileage expenses for my normal daily commute (i.e. from home to my usual place of work)?

Typically, no – because your salary is there in part to cover the expense of getting to and from your usual place of work on a normal day.

Can I claim mileage expenses if I travel to an alternative place of work before then travelling to my usual place of work?

You can claim all the mileage except the return journey from your usual place of work back to your home.

Can I claim mileage expenses if I travel from my usual place of work to an alternative place of work and then go straight home?

You can claim all the mileage except for the initial journey from your home to your usual place of work.

However, if there is a possible route from your alternative place of work to your home which takes you via your normal place of work, then there would be some limit to the expenses you can claim, depending on how much mileage this cuts off.

Can I claim mileage expenses if I travel from home to an alternative place of work (and back home), which is a short extension (less than 10 miles) of my normal daily commute?

Typically, you cannot claim any mileage in these circumstances.

Can I claim mileage expenses if I travel from home to an alternative place of work (and back home), which is a longer extension (more than 10 miles) of my normal daily commute?

You can claim on the mileage which takes you beyond your usual place of work to your alternative place of work (i.e. not the mileage from your home to your usual place of work) for both legs of your journey.

Can I claim mileage expenses if I travel from home to an alternative place of work (and back home), which isn’t an extension of my journey from home to my usual place of work?

You can claim the full mileage for both legs of your journey, as this is a separate journey to your normal daily commute.

Can I claim mileage expenses if I travel from my usual place of work to an alternative place of work and then back to my usual place of work?

You can claim the full mileage for both legs of your journey.

Can I claim mileage expenses for my normal daily commute (i.e. from home to my usual place of work) but on a cancelled rest day?

You can claim the full mileage if your rest day was cancelled with less than 15 days’ notice.

Typically, you cannot claim any mileage if your rest day was cancelled with more than 15 days’ notice.

If you are working on a cancelled rest day but not making your normal daily commute, you can find your specific circumstances in the other questions in this article and the same information will apply.

Can I claim mileage expenses for my normal daily commute (i.e. from home to my usual place of work) if I am recalled from annual leave?

Typically, your annual leave will be re-credited to another day, so you cannot claim any mileage in these circumstances.

If you are recalled from annual leave but are not making your normal daily commute, you can find your specific circumstances in the other questions in this article, and the same information will apply.

Can I claim mileage expenses if I work on a public holiday?

You can claim the full mileage of any travel you make to and from any place of work.

How can I calculate my mileage?

Some good free tools include mileage calculators from the RAC and the AA

Watch this video created by our colleagues at West Yorkshire Police Federation for more information.