While MPs are busy dipping their fingers in the till, the UK’s business travellers are failing to claim legitimate expenses, according to a new survey.
In the 13th Annual Barclaycard Commercial Business Travel Survey 32% of corporate travellers said they failed to claim back all their expenses, amounting to an average of £373 per person unclaimed cash a year.
Also contrary to the show of shame currently playing in Westminster, it seems the more senior you are the less likely you are to claim all that is due to you. The survey also showed that men are the laziest at organising their expenses and claiming back.
A chairman fails to claim on average £719 a year compared to a PA’s £25 and men fail to claim £366 a year in expenses while women don’t claim £293 – £73 less than men.
Barclaycard found that only 61 per cent of respondents claim back all of their expenses – a drop from 79 per cent last year.
Managing director of Barclaycard Commercial Neil Radley said: “Anyone who regularly travels on business knows keeping track of all expenses can be tricky, especially when your top priority is your performance. Managing incidental and often small costs can drop to the bottom of the list of priorities. Barclaycard has found that the most sensible action companies can take is to help their employees to centralise their costs and to give them the facility to create automatic records by using company credit cards responsibly to keep better track of their expenses.”
By Dinah Hatch
