Relocation Allowance Scheme Policy

Relocation Allowance Scheme

Introduction

Tendring is an excellent area in which to live and work with easy access to beautiful countryside, coasts and rivers and to London. Primarily, the Council’s Relocation

Allowances Scheme aims to assist new recruits with the expenses that they may incur in moving to the area in order to take up their job.

Eligibility

The Scheme applies to persons taking up employment with Tendring District Council in a post which entitles the individual to relocation expenses, where a move is not incidental to a partner’s removal to the Essex area.

Where officers are employed on a part time or job share basis, expenses shall be paid pro rata to the hours worked. Payment will only be made in circumstance whereby no other body is contributing towards the costs of the move.

For any allowance to be paid under this Scheme, employees must relocate within the Tendring District within 2 years of taking up their post, and their previous permanent place of residence must be outside a 5 mile radius of the Tendring District boundary.

Payment of Allowances

Allowances shall only be paid with the agreement of the Human Resources Manager. The employee must enter into a written undertaking that if they leave the service of the Council within 2 years of moving into permanent accommodation within the area, they will be required to repay the total Relocation Allowances paid to them.

If the employee chooses not to move within 2 years of commencement of employment, then any payments in respect of lodging and travelling will need to be repaid to the Council in full.

Claims

Claims for Allowances under this Scheme should be on forms obtainable from the Human Resources. Claims can be made for all expenses as they are incurred and must be supported by receipted and invoices where appropriate.

Flexibility

Any cases not covered by the provisions of the Scheme should be referred to Human Resources for consideration.

Entitlements

Buying and Selling Property

• Buying and Selling - This arrangement applies where an employee has to both sell and buy a property. A maximum of £4,200 will be reimbursed to cover relevant expenses incurred in legal house agents, mortgage, mortgage redemption, land registry, stamp duty and other related fees including RICS House buyer’s report.
• Buying - This arrangement applies where an employee has only to purchase a property. A maximum of £1,800 will be reimbursed to cover relevant expenses for legal, land registry, stamp duty, mortgage and other fees including RICS House buyer’s Report.

Settling in Allowance

An employee who purchases a property or who moves into unfurnished accommodation as a result of his/her appointment, shall be entitled to a settling-in allowance of up to £900 to cover the incidental expenses of moving and other losses which may have been incurred. This expenditure is deemed to cover alterations to, or replacement of curtains/carpets, connection charges such as telephone, gas and electricity and other appliances etc.

This will only be payable on production of receipts and if the employee has moved into a permanent residence within the District, i.e. for a purchased property not a rental property.

Furniture Removal

The cost of removal of furniture and effects from the old home to new, including insurance of goods in transit plus any storage charges unavoidably incurred (up to 3 months in normal circumstances), the reimbursement to be equal to the amount of the lowest of two competitive tenders. The employee can engage the contractor of his/her choice, provided that he/she pays the difference in cost between this and the lowest tender.

Return Fares Home

In a situation where a newly appointed employee is living in temporary accommodation and thereby maintaining two homes, he/she shall be reimbursed an additional fortnightly travel allowance of 100% of the return mileage home, calculated at the prevailing lease car rate at that time (8p per mile at July 2013). In order to claim, the employee must have undertaken the journey and completed an appropriate mileage claim form and any other supporting evidence, e.g. fuel receipts.

Travel to Work Place

Should the employee live outside the District decide to travel to his/her new location on a daily basis, he/she shall be paid a weekly travelling allowance for up to 18 weeks at the prevailing lease car rate, subject to:

• the distance travelled between the place of residence and the former place of work being deducted from the mileage incurred between the place of residence and the new place of work for the purpose of calculating the allowance;
• the weekly lodging allowance figure not being exceeded (£82.80);
• he/she is intending to relocate permanently within the District.

Temporary Accommodation Assistance

An employee who is unable to permanently accommodate himself/herself and, where appropriate, his/her family within one hour’s travelling distance of the new place of work and where he/she necessarily has to find temporary accommodation and thereby maintain two homes, shall be granted a lodging allowance of £82.80 per week for stays of four nights a week or longer. (Shorter stays will be pro rata to £82.80 per week).

The lodging allowance will be payable for a maximum period of 18 weeks from date of commencement of employment and periods of absence of one week for holidays/other absence will not be counted against the eighteen week period.

If, in exceptional circumstances, an employee is granted a temporary Council property, the rent only element of this property will be payable. The lodging allowance will not apply.

Any other persons who do not fall within the criteria above (i.e., not having to maintain two homes, shall be paid a lodging allowance for a period of six weeks only, to facilitate their search for more permanent accommodation in the District.

House Hunting

Where it is necessary for a newly appointed Officer to visit the area to find accommodation, the Council will pay mileage based on the prevailing lease car rate, plus accommodation and subsistence allowance for the Officer and their partner in accordance with a maximum of two visits of up to two night’s duration. This will be paid after commencement of employment.

House Moving Special Leave

Up to three days special paid leave will be granted to assist moving into a new home.

For any further advice or guidance regarding this Scheme, please contact Human Resources.