I really don't know why this sort of thing always seems to happen to me.
I am not going to claim for loss of earnings by spending three days in Bristol Crown Court, mainly because my work does not run seamlessly from one day to the other (you can say that again) but also because I charge about as much for one hour as they are willing to pay me for one day.
I wasn't even going to submit a claim for the train fares, because it only amounts to £32.30 having been sent home early, but H.I. said I should, so I had a look at the claims form.
They want proof of payment of course, so I collated all the receipts. The first (one-way) ticket was bought online was £7.60 and collected from the machine at the station. I bought the return ticket the day of my return and it was £7.50. Not only is it almost twice as expensive to by two tickets and not a return, but it is also 10p more if you buy it online. Why?
When I bought my return ticket, I bought a set of return tickets for the following day at £8.60. Wednesday's tickets were bought that morning and were £8.60.
I shuffled the receipts into calendar order starting on the 20th. The 21st was ok so I looked for the receipts for the 22nd, making a full set. Because the barrier at Bath gobbles your ticket as it lets you out, the only thing I had with the date 22nd on it was the coupon. I looked at the bit which should have said '£8.60' and it read, 'Value: £51.35'.
Oh hell, I thought, they have charged £51.35p to my card for an £8.60 ticket. So I went online to my acount to see what they had charged, and there were no transactions for the 22nd save for a restaurant bill in the 'pending' section.
So I could - theoretically - claim for £51.35 using the coupon for evidence or - more believably - claim for the £8.60 it should have cost me, but didn't. Either action could end up with me back in the Crown Court, but this time in the dock on a fraud charge.
Do you know, I think I will just count my blessings and forget about claiming any travel expenses at all.
Sometimes it's just wiser to give in to the bureaucracy and let it win as the aggravation is too bad for one's health. You are right -- count your blessings (and enjoy today's sunshine!).
ReplyDeleteYes, what is £32 compared to a weak and shaky grip on one's mental health?
DeleteOh, Tom, first you have a let Nigerian millions go and now this…
ReplyDeleteI have always been irresponsible with money.
DeleteStick them for every penny that you can Tom and stop pussyfooting about. The UK govt owes the folk in this house a darn sight more than that.
ReplyDeleteThank you for making me feel a lot better about my sense of civic duty.
DeleteI think you are right, I don't think I could have bothered. In fact I am getting to the point where I can't be bothered with much at all.
ReplyDeleteBriony
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Exactly. I almost didn't bother to write this response.
DeleteOh dear, the horrors of being self employed and on jury duty. So far I too have ducked out of it. The remuneration is a joke!
ReplyDeleteI noticed that there were seperate claim forms for 'Company Directors'.
DeleteSo the paperwork for the second rented property with IKEA furnishings and a duck house were not required after all. I think we all know how a legitimate claim made within the rules can get seriously out of hand.
ReplyDeleteThat is why my moated duck house is in such a bad state of repair.
DeleteIn Australia, you just have to say where you live and "they" work out the correct fare by public transport. Can't argue with that.
ReplyDeleteYou could cheat by walking the 50 miles.
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