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Updates to UCL Expenses Policy

11 December 2025

UMC has approved changes to the Expenses Policy including improved allowances and revised definitions of roles and responsibilities for claimants and approvers. Find out more about the changes which come into effect this month.

UCL Wilkins building seen between trees

University Management Committee (UMC) has approved further improvements to allowances in UCL’s Expenses Policy. 

These include increased allowances for business, staff and student entertaining, reimbursements for professional memberships, a new allowance for condolence flowers, and reasonable gifts for external parties.

The policy has also been clarified to better support staff with disabilities or long-term health conditions when travelling, to allow for exceptional overnight stays near the workplace, and to support more sustainable travel options.  

Strengthening compliance and monitoring claims 

UCL is a charity in receipt of significant public funds. As such, alongside these increased allowances, UMC has also endorsed the need to strengthen compliance with the policy. All members of staff must follow the Expenses Policy and consider both cost and perception with any claim – this applies equally to other forms of booking where Expense Policy limits apply, such as travel bookings.  

There will be increased monitoring of claims and no tolerance for non-compliant claims. UCL may seek reimbursement for any non-compliant claims and persistent non-compliance may lead to disciplinary action. 

We have shared a summary of the changes below, and the updated policy is now available on the Finance webpages.  

The revised policy applies to costs incurred from 1 December onwards. Costs incurred before this date will be assessed under the previous policy, and uplifted claims will not be permitted where expenses have already been submitted. The revised allowances will be live in MyFinance from 11 December. 

We will publish and continue to develop FAQs about the revised policy. Additional training and guidance will also be released over the coming months. 

We hope these improvements to the allowances are welcomed. We remain committed to regular review of the UCL Expenses Policy so that limits remain supportive of our community and thank everyone for their continued efforts in ensuring that UCL funds are used responsibly. 

Key allowance changes 

  • We have listened to feedback on entertaining allowances which have been revised as follows: 
    • Business entertaining: now up to £60/head for dinner, £40/head for other meals. This may be exceptionally exceeded with appropriate approvals. 
    • Staff and student entertaining: now up to £30/head, including Christmas meals. This cannot be exceeded. 
  • Professional subscriptions: Where a professional membership is explicitly required by an individual’s UCL role, we may now reimburse one professional membership/subscription per year for eligible (as set out in the Policy) staff. Pre-approval is required and is subject to available Departmental funds. 
  • Condolence flowers: A new allowance of up to £50 may now be used to buy flowers and a card to mark the service of a staff member who dies during their employment at UCL. Other gifts (e.g. new baby) remain via personal collection. 
  • Gifts for external parties: Reasonable gifts up to £50 may be exceptionally given where appropriate and compliant with UCL’s Anti-Bribery and Corruption Policy, with advance approval required as set out in the Policy. 
  • Other limits (hotels, subsistence, mileage) remain unchanged following review or as in line with HMRC allowances. Electric car mileage has been clarified. 
  • The Expenses Policy has also been further clarified, such as to allow for: 
    • Reasonable adjustments for staff with disabilities or long-term health conditions when travelling in line with the Travel Policy. 
    • Exceptional overnight stays near the workplace: now possible in exceptional, pre-approved circumstances with clear approval route. 
    • Supporting sustainable travel options in line with the Travel Policy. 

Approvals, compliance and responsibilities 

The Expenses Policy has been revised as follows: 

  • Clearer definitions of roles and responsibilities for claimants and approvers throughout and in Annex 1. 
  • We have streamlined the approval steps required to reduce the time required to make approved payments. There will be more retrospective compliance monitoring to compensate. 
  • Removal of Central Finance from the list of roles able to make exceptional pre-approvals as set out in the policy to empower departments more with their decisions. 
  • Strengthened procedures for dealing with non-compliant claims. 
  • Improved links to related policies and guidance for clarity and to support claimants.