AN audit of Thurrock Council’s expenses payment scheme has recommended greater scrutiny by managers after discovering an employee had signed off their own expenses reports the Local Democracy Reporter.
The council handled 3,268 expenses claims in 2024/25 for 701 employees with a bill of £250,240.
An audit discovered 40 per cent of claims did not have valid VAT receipts as required and found one expense claim where the claimant approved their own claim request.
Audit officers also found expense claims were being approved by officers who “do not have delegated authority to certify them”. In addition the assistant director’s approval was not being obtained as required where subsistence payment rates were exceeded.
A report to the audit committee, which will meet on Tuesday, also revealed some staff have been waiting for more than a year to be reimbursed due to “delayed managerial approval”.
However, the audit team found the expenses scheme overall was “transparent” and “appropriate” and the majority of claims are paid “in a timely manner”, with payment runs three times a week once approvals have been processed.
The council currently has payment rates of £6.25, £9.25 and £12 for breakfast, lunch, and dinner expenses, respectively.
These rates may only be exceeded if the cost of standard meals supplied at an establishment where an officer is staying for work purposes exceeds the council’s subsistence payment rates and no alternative option was available.
The report said: “The council reimburses staff for out-of-pocket expenses such as travel, accommodation and subsistence costs incurred whilst on council business. HR has developed a travel and subsistence policy that governs and manages the way in which reimbursement is made.
“Claims for employee expenses should be submitted on the expenses management system, Oracle, where it should be checked and approved by an authorised officer before being sent to the finance team for payment into the employee’s bank account.”
Thurrock Council was asked to comment.
Categories: Financ
