The self-inflicted expenses scandal

Talk of expenses may cause some people to think of the recent scandal in Westminster but while some politicians made claims for things they were not entitled to, new research has found many ordinary employees are failing to put in legitimate claims.

A survey by Concur revealed it is very common for those who are owed money for the costs they have incurred from their own pockets on work duty not to chase this up.

Presenter of the BBC’s Bank of Mum & Dad Lawrence Gold noted: “One in five workers are spending as much as £270 a year on expenses that they are not claiming back”.

Mt Gold was involved in the survey, which has sought to identify reasons for such non-claiming and he stated: “Three main reasons came back: one, they couldn’t be bothered with the hassle; two, they were too embarrassed; and thirdly, they didn’t want to because they felt guilty.”

He exclaimed that this was hard to fathom in view of the fact that times are tough and many people have strained budgets, while the sort of amounts lost are similar to the gains people make when they switch to cheaper utility providers.

Those with debts may find it is a very wise move to make sure they do indeed claim every time they have expenses to recoup, as every bit may help and if it is legitimate, there is no reason to feel a sense of guilt or embarrassment as if it were paying for a duck house.

Other findings in the Concur survey included the fact that one in 20 people spent as much as £600 a year that they did not claim back.