Frequently Asked Questions - Expenses

Take a screenshot of the website you used to search for accommodation (booking.com/trivago etc.) and include it with your claim as proof that there was no cheaper accommodation available.

The University of Limerick uses the per diem rates as a guide to the maximum amount that a trip would be expected to cost, but will reimburse the actual cost, even if it is above the per diem, provided the claimant has included a satisfactory explanation as to why the additional cost was necessary on the claim.

No. Personal safety should never be put at risk when booking accommodation. “The policy aims to provide a fair and consistent enabling framework in which persons undertaking travel on behalf of the University do so with due regard to personal safety and comfort, consistent with the nature and purpose of individual journeys”.

Keep your own record of the attendees at the event and state clearly on your claim that you have a list of attendees but cannot name them on the claim for reasons of participant confidentiality.

If a claim is over 3 months old on date of submission, a clear explanation must be attached explaining the reason why it is late. It is up to the line/cost centre manager to decide if the explanation is acceptable. Finance will reject claims where a detailed explanation has not been provided by the claimant to the initial approver. For research grants, claims must be submitted and paid on or before the end date of the project.

The starting point is whichever is closest to your destination, e.g. claimant lives in Nenagh and works in UL. If conference in Dublin, starting point is Nenagh as this is closer to Dublin. If conference is in Killarney, starting point is UL as this is closer to Killarney. The reason for this is that Revenue rules do not allow employees claim KMs for travelling to their normal place of work, so that portion of the journey must always be excluded. (NB for employees working full-time in CERC, this is the place of work to be used, not UL).

There is an option in the Expenses system to claim an advance. Log into the expenses system as normal and select “Travel Advance Payment Request” from the drop-down menu. Attach backup to justify the amount e.g. conference brochure price list and submit your claim. After you get paid the advance, book and pay for the conference, then submit a new expense claim coded as normal with the conference receipt attached. The system then matches this second claim against the advance to clear it from the system. You must submit the claim to clear the advance within two weeks of making the payment for which the advance was given. Please note that this facility is only available for high value items that a staff member could not be reasonably expected to fund themselves while waiting for an expense claim to be processed in the normal timeframe. It is not intended for low value items or to provide a “float” to staff.

Yes. There are training videos and user guides available at  Finance System Training | University of Limerick (ul.ie)
 

All UL statutes and policies are stored in the UL Policy Hub. They are available on the Policy Hub website

Links to the Department of Public Expenditure & Reform circulars on domestic and foreign subsistence allowances are available on Expenses section
 

Yes. There is a guidance note available at Hospitality Guidance Note

Most universities in Ireland operate expenses the same way as UL - on a receipt basis. Only two operate a per diem system, and one of those still requires you to keep receipts as it only allows staff to claim up to the level of actual costs incurred, with the per diem being the maximum amount claimable.

There is an app which Finance hope to implement before the end of 2023, once potential security issues have been addressed.

Advances should only be requested where the amount involved is significant and the claimant could not reasonably be expected to put it on their credit card while awaiting reimbursement.

To submit an advance payment request, please log into the Expenses system as normal and select expense type “Travel/Expense Advance Payment Request” from the drop-down menu, enter the amount you are requesting and submit your claim. Before submitting it, you must attach backup to justify the amount you are requesting. EG quote/invoice from the supplier, conference brochure, so that a reviewer can see where you are getting the amount requested from.

When the system processes an advance claim, it creates a second “loan” transaction that needs to be repaid. After you pay for your conference/purchase piece of equipment/return from your trip, you must submit a new expense claim coded as normal to the appropriate category (so Training/Conference Fees/Hospitality/equip/materials etc) with the itemised receipts attached. The system will then match this second claim against the advance to clear the “loan.” You must submit an expense claim to clear the advance within two weeks of making the payment for which the advance was given.

If you are unsure of the exact amount you require, it is better to underestimate rather than overestimate the amount you need. If you overestimate the amount, you will have to submit a third claim coded to "Travel/Expense Advance Refund" and lodge the overpayment to UL's bank account. 

Finally:

• Don’t include any other expense items on the claim – so one line for the advance and no other lines.
• Don’t submit an ordinary claim in the same week you request an advance.

The reason for the two above points is that Agresso nets ordinary expense claims against advances to recover the money advanced, so you won’t get the full amount requested if you do not follow these points.

Email expenses@ul.ie for expense related queries. 
Email purchasing@ul.ie for queries on suppliers/products