Workers warned over false expenses claims

People who are falsifying expenses claims at work to boost their finances or help to clear debt need to think carefully about what they are doing.

This is the suggestion of uSwitch personal finance expert Louise Bond, who said that while the economic downturn is clearly putting a strain on people’s budgets, lying or exaggerating to get more money from employers can have more serious consequences.

“Employees must think long and hard … before exaggerating or submitting a bogus expense claim as it is unlikely that, what some might regard as a ‘harmless’ indiscretion, is worth losing a job over,” she remarked.

Her comments were made as her organisation found that 16 per cent of UK workers admitted to making claims that were not entirely truthful, generating an extra £200 a year on average

Another report by uSwitch this week suggested that many of the country’s motorists may find themselves hit with hidden costs as a result of the government’s car scrappage scheme, with car insurance providers charging administration fees for the necessary policy changes.

By Chris Trimble