Reimbursement of personal expenses

Food and drink expenses can be reimbursed up to £35 per day (plus an additional £35 per day for your companion during your donation only).

To claim reimbursement for food and drink, you must provide an itemised receipt as evidence of the purchase.

If you do not have an itemised receipt, you may submit a bank statement instead.

• Use the notes section of your claim to provide a detailed breakdown of what was purchased.
• Clearly state that no alcohol is included in the claim, as alcohol expenses will not be reimbursed

Good Travel Management, our trusted partner, will arrange your hotels and travel for you in advance.

However, should there be any unexpected additional expenses when you travel to your medical assessment or your donation, we will reimburse any claims relating to standard class public transport costs (e.g. trains, taxis).

This will also apply to your companion when travelling to your donation.

Any mileage undertaken in your personal vehicle when travelling to and from your medical assessment and/or your donation can be reimbursed at the current tax-valid amount of 55 pence per mile.

For example: Home to airport/station/hotel/hospital, and return trip (e.g. 10 miles @ 55p per mile = £5.50 to be reimbursed).

Any parking costs directly relating to your travel to and from your appointments can be reimbursed.

If you have driven 100 miles or more, you will need to provide:

• A petrol receipt to support your claim.
• The postcodes of the locations you have travelled from and to.

If you have used a rented vehicle, you will need to provide:

• The rental agreement as evidence of vehicle hire.
• A petrol receipt to confirm fuel expenditure.

If your appointment is in Central London, we will reimburse the Congestion Charge and the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) charge, if applicable.

Please follow payment instructions provided here on the TFL website.

It’s important that you ensure all charges are paid in full to avoid penalties, as penalty fees or default charges will not be reimbursed.

You will need to provide us with the receipt as proof of payment for the Congestion Charge and/or ULEZ charge. Please note that these charges apply only for the days the car is in use.

For example: If you drive into London on Monday, do not use the car on Tuesday, and drive out again on Wednesday, you would not need to pay the Congestion Charge or ULEZ charge on Tuesday.

If you are not granted paid leave to attend your medical assessment and donation, you may be eligible for reimbursement of up to £200 per day, depending on your normal daily wage.

Please note that National Insurance (NI) contributions and tax will be applied and deducted from this amount.

To claim reimbursement for loss of earnings, please provide the relevant documentation outlined below.

If your employer requires you to take unpaid or paid leave, please provide the following:

• Provide your three most recent payslips to calculate your daily wage.
• A letter or official email from your employer on company-headed paper confirming:
  • the dates you were required to take leave
  • and whether this leave was paid or unpaid.

There may be some back-and-forth between us and our Finance team, so please bear with us while we process your claim.

If you are not granted paid leave to attend your medical assessment and donation, you may be eligible for reimbursement of up to £200 per day, depending on your normal daily wage.

Please note that National Insurance (NI) contributions and tax will be applied and deducted from this amount.

To claim reimbursement for loss of earnings, please provide the relevant documentation outlined below.

• Evidence of self-employed status, such as:
  • Your UTR (Unique Taxpayer Reference) or Tax Reference Number.
  • Your business name and address.
• Evidence of loss of earnings, including:
  • Three months’ worth of invoices to demonstrate income. These invoices must issue under your name.
  • Three months’ worth of bank statements to verify income and transactions. (These statements must be in your name and not the business)

• Your UTR (Unique Taxpayer Reference) or Tax Reference Number.
• Your business name and address.
• Three months’ worth of invoices to demonstrate income. (These invoices must have name of the company)

We are aware that, as a self-employed person, you may have multiple employments or the way you document your income may vary.

If are unsure about anything or need assistance with your situation or claim, please reach out to our Reimbursement Team. They will be more than happy to work with you and help ensure the process goes as smoothly as possible.

It is possible to donate some or all of your expenses to DKMS. If you wish to do this, please indicate this on the WebExpenses portal and we will send you a donation receipt for any personal tax declarations.

All donations to DKMS contribute to supporting our vital work, matching incredible UK stem cell donors, like you, to people facing blood cancers and disorders all over the world.