FAQs for claimants

When was the Carers Fund launched?

The Carer's Fund was launched on 1 August 2023. Claims can only be made for activities commencing on or after 1 August 2023.

Why isn't the fund available to PhD students or staff associates/visiting associates?

At this time, the fund is only available to University of York employees, as are the rest of the Family Friendly Policies.

Is it still ok to claim if I'm attending an overseas work-related event?

Yes, it doesn't matter where the event is as long as it's for career development purposes, but please note that the limit per event attended is still £350.

What do you mean by additional care costs?

You can only claim for any costs over and above what you would usually pay a carer to look after the dependent. Please see some examples below:

Example 1 - attending a training course but returning same day

You currently work full-time Monday to Friday and you pay for a registered childminder to look after your child between 8.30am (drop-off time) and 5.30pm (pick-up time). You wish to attend a full-day training course but this will result in a longer working day due to extra travel time. The childminder agrees you can drop off your child earlier than usual at 7.30am and collect them later than usual at 6.30pm. You can therefore claim for the additional 2 hours that the childminder will charge.

Example 2 - attending a 2 day conference with overnight stay

You currently work part-time - Monday to Wednesday only. You pay for a registered care provider to look after your parent while you work as they have mobility issues and require round the clock care. A two-day conference takes place on Thursday and Friday and attending the conference will be key to your career development. You will need to stay overnight as it is too far to travel there and back on both days. You arrange for the registered care provider to stay for the full duration that you are away, including overnight. Because you would not normally work on those days, but the conference can only be attended on those days, you can claim for the full cost charged by the care provider, up to a limit of £350.

What is the maximum budget cap per faculty?

£5000 has been ring-fenced by each of the four faculties.

Why won't the University pay for the cost of taking a companion/carer with me to the work-related training?

The fund is currently unable to cover this as the costs of travel and/or accommodation for dependants and additional carers are taxable.

What care provider can I use? For example, can I claim if a grandparent/other relative looks after my dependent?

At this time, the University will only accept claims for additional care costs where you have used a registered care provider e.g. registered childminder, nursery etc. The University will not pay for a relative to provide the care unless the relative already offers that type of service e.g. is a registered childminder.

What is a valid receipt/invoice from the care provider?

All registered businesses (e.g. childminder, nursery) will be able to supply you with an invoice for the services they've provided. They can supply you with a separate invoice for the extra hours they have provided or just add a line to their usual weekly/monthly invoice to show the extra hours provided. It just needs to be clear to the Approver what the extra hours are and that they match with your expense claim.

Which workorder should I use on my claim form?

Chargeable work-related training

The workorder used for care costs should match the workorder used for the rest of the expense claim. For example, if claiming for a training course ticket, you will have been allocated a workorder to charge this against. The associated care costs should be charged to the same workorder and account number 2121.

Free work-related training

If the training is free and you are only submitting expenses for caring costs refer to this google document to find the correct workorder for your department.

What is classed as an auditable record of booking/attending the work-related training event?

If you can provide proof of attendance, that is the preference i.e. an email confirmation from the supplier/organiser thanking you for attending. This is fairly common as organisers will often send a slide pack / feedback forms after the event. If you don't have this, a booking confirmation is acceptable.

Can I still claim for additional care costs if I'm going on a business trip but not attending a specific career development event / work-related training?

Business trips would not usually be considered as eligible under the Carers' Fund. If the trip does not specifically fall under the HMRC definition of work-related training, there are tax implications for the individual claimant.