Policy on which car fuel rates to use by the DWP and by the CMS

The request was refused by Department for Work and Pensions.

Dear Department for Work and Pensions,

I recently made a FOI request to the Child Maintenance Service for disclosure on why they are insisting on using company car fuel rates to calculate special expense variations for increased contact costs incurred by a paying parent (non resident parent)

After some back and forth we eventually got to this point::

I asked the CMS:

In your response you said “the decision to use the advisory fuel rates is a policy rather than legal or regulatory decision”.

The rates you are using are for company care use. HMRC themselves provide guidance on these rates and they say “when you can use the mileage rates: the rates only apply when you…reimburse employees for business travel in their company cars”

Please provide any internal documents that relate to your organisations internal and external discussions around the formulation of this policy including details of stakeholders involved or consulted, internal and external, and the relevant dates. I am specifically looking for documentation that supports the decision that supports the decision point for your organisation to use company car rates and not personal car rates.

they replied to say:

"I am unable to provide you with the internal documents that you have requested as no such document exists. The decision to use HMRC Advisory Fuel rates was a Department for Work and Pensions policy decision. "

The entire FOI request can be read here:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/c...

My request to you (the DWP) is as follows:

1. Please would you now confirm that this is an accurate statement and that it was indeed a DWP policy decision

2. Please provide a copy of this policy or confirm that it does not exist

3. Please provide copies of any internal documents that relate to the DWP's internal and external discussions around the formulation of this policy including details of stakeholders involved or consulted, internal and external, and the relevant dates. I am specifically looking for documentation that supports the decision point for the DWP to from the policy for the CMS to use company car rates and not personal car rates.

4. Please provide a copy of your own expenses policy as it relates to claims for mileage/petrol costs by your own DWP employees

many thanks

Yours faithfully,

G. Harrison

DWP freedom-of-information-requests, Department for Work and Pensions

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special expense variation
child maintenance service

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Operations FOI Requests, Department for Work and Pensions

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G Harrison
 
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