Union urges council to raise staff mileage rates

Council staff in Kent are paying out of their own pockets to carry out work duties because mileage rates have not kept pace with costs, according to Unison.

The union is calling on Kent County Council (KCC) to increase mileage payments from 45p to 55p per mile, in line with a revised HMRC rate introduced in April.

It added thousands of employees use their own vehicles to visit vulnerable residents, support families and deliver other services across the county, but are not being reimbursed this rate.

KCC has been approached for comment.

Unison South East regional secretary Jo Galloway said: "Council workers shouldn't have to pay for the privilege of doing their jobs.

"Every time someone drives to visit a vulnerable resident or support a family, they're helping keep Kent's public services running."

Galloway added it was "not acceptable" that the Reform-led local authority was "effectively asking staff to subsidise its services from their own wages".

"Other councils have found the money to pay fair mileage rates. Kent must do the same," she added.

According to Unison, it said a survey of its members found 92% felt current mileage payments had a moderate or significant impact on their finances, while 78% said they had reconsidered travelling for work because of the cost.

The union has launched a campaign urging the authority to raise mileage payments by 10p per mile for the first 10,000 business miles (16,094km) and backdate the increase to April.

Unison Kent branch chair Briony Sutcliffe said workers "have had enough" of being left out of pocket while feeling the pressure from rising living costs.

"These aren't optional journeys. They're visits to vulnerable people, children and families who depend on council services," she added.

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