Quarter of expense-claiming employees exaggerate

One quarter of people that have ever claimed work expenses in the UK admit to exaggerating them according to a survey from employee expenses management company, GlobalExpense.  In a similar survey in 2009, only 15 percent of the expense-claiming employees surveyed admitted to exaggerating their expenses.

Almost half (47 percent) of those that admit to having exaggerated expenses claims, inflate claims by up to £10 per month; 13 percent boost claims by between £11 and £20; 10 percent enlarge claims by between £21 and £50; and four percent magnify claims by between £51 and £100 per month.

Mileage claims are the most likely to be exaggerated (22 percent) by those who have ever claimed expenses, followed by meals and drinks whilst away from home for work (12 percent); taxi fares (five percent), accommodation (four percent) and entertainment claims (three percent).

“Not only is the number of people exaggerating their expenses on the increase, but the general public’s acceptance of exaggerating expenses claims  is creeping back-up to pre-MPs’ expenses scandal levels, too,” says David Vine, CEO of GlobalExpense. 

According to the GlobalExpense survey, nearly one quarter (22 percent) of people think it is acceptable for employees to exaggerate their work expenses when claiming them back from their employer some or all of the time. Immediately after the MPs’ expenses scandal in 2009 this figure was 14 percent: a significant drop on pre-scandal figures of 30 percent in 2008 and 34 percent in 2007.

Exaggerating expenses claims by up to ten percent is considered fair by 22 percent of the general public; five percent think up to 20 percent is acceptable, and three percent tolerate the exaggeration of claims by 21 to 50 percent of value.