2003 imposed pay offer

1. This offer covers all staff within the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) bargaining group in post on 30 June 2003. Unless otherwise stated all changes will be effective from 1 July 2003.

Settlement date

2. Any staff who have transferred into DWP on or after 2 April 2003 from another government department do not have an automatic entitlement to the DWP pay increase from 1 July 2003. In these circumstances payroll will contact the previous department to ascertain if they are entitled to the DWP pay award or the exporting department’s pay award. This policy also applies to staff on loan or secondment from other government departments or organisations. Any entitlement to the pay increase in these circumstances will be paid separately from the main pay award but will be effective from 1 July 2003.

Cost of the offer

3. The total value of the offer is £120m, which represents an average increase of around 5.05% (based on the final 1 April 2004 position)

Pay award – key details

4. The main features of this pay award are as follows:

All pay scale maximum increased by 2.6%.
Administrative and equivalent pay scale minimum increased by 4%
Executive pay scale minimum increased by 2.9%
Progression payments will be paid in two stages. With effect from 1 July 2003 staff will receive a first payment equivalent to 2.6% or £500 or move to the new pay scale minimum whichever results in the highest payment. Any remaining balance will be paid from 1 April 2004
Payment of stage 2 will be limited to the pay scale maximum
All executive grades/pay bands will receive a total progression payment equivalent to 1/6th of the difference between their new pay scale minimum and the new pay scale maximum. As the strict application of this formula would result in anomalies for the HEO/band D and grade 6/band G we will increase the total progression payment for these two grades so that they receive a payment that is worth £50 more than EO/band C and grade 7/band F staff
All administrative officers/band B and equivalents in the national pay zone will receive a total progression payment of £850. Those in the London pay zones and the specified location pay zone will receive a total payment of £900
Administrative assistants/band A and equivalents in the national pay zone will receive a total progression payment of £750. Those in the London pay zones and the specified location pay zone will receive a total progression payment of £800
A performance bonus pot worth £22.8m will be shared enabling lump sum non-consolidated payments to be made to the majority of staff – details of the proposed distribution are shown under the performance bonuses section on page 6 of this letter.
Allowances (this does not include recruitment and retention allowance payments or responsibility allowance payments) will be uprated by 3.1% with effect from 5 April 2004
Responsibility allowance payments will be increased by £50, see the table in the responsibility allowance section of this letter for more details

Order of pay award calculation

5. The order of calculation of the 2003 pay award is as follows:

The starting point will be the individual’s salary at 30 June 2003. This will be the basis on which the award is calculated
Generalist staff currently on their pay scale maximum will move to the new maximum with effect from 1 July 2003. Any additional amount that would otherwise take an individual above the maximum will be paid as a lump sum non-consolidated payment with effect from 1 July 2003
Following calculation, the new minimum and maximum rate will be rounded up to the next whole £10, all other rates will be rounded up to the next whole £1
Details of the 2002 and 2003 pay scales are set out in appendix 1

6. The total standard progression payment will be paid in two stages. The total payment will be calculated as described in the pay progression section of this letter. With effect from 1 July 2003 a payment will be made of either 2.6% of their 2002 salary or £500 or move to the new band minimum, whichever amount is higher. Any remaining balance up to the maximum will be paid from 1 April 2004.

Pay progression

7. Pay progression has always been a matter of joint concern to management and the trade unions. This award builds on efforts in previous pay rounds to offer faster progression. This year progression payments will be in two stages.

With effect from 1 July 2003 staff will receive a first payment equivalent to 2.6% of their 2002 salary or £500 or move to their new pay scale minimum whichever is higher.
Any remaining balance up to an overall ceiling limit of the pay scale maximum will be paid with effect from 1 April 2004.

8. For executive grades/pay bands, the standard total progression payment will be equivalent to 1/6th of the difference between their new pay scale minimum and the new pay scale maximum. As strict application of this formula would produce an anomalous outcome for HEO/band D and grade 6/band G staff they will receive an increased progression payment worth £50 more than that on offer to EO/band C and grade 7/band F staff.

9. The following table shows the total amount added to your salary if you are below pay scale maximum:

Total amount added to salary if below pay scale maximum
Grade/band	National	Specified location pay zone	London inner	London outer
EO/band C	£960	£1,028	£1,058	£1,060
HEO/band D	£1,010	£1,078	£1,108	£1,110
SEO/band E	£1,125	£1,165	£1,162	£1,165
G7/band F	£2,362	£2,463	£2,483	£2,463
G6/band G	£2,412	£2,513	£2,533	£2,513

10. In pay 2003 the use of pay points to progress up the pay scale has been suspended and administrative staff and equivalents will receive a fixed standard total salary progression as follows:

Fixed standard total salary progression for administrative staff
Grade/band	National	Specified location pay zone	London inner	London outer
Cleaners (all)	£750	N/A	£750	£750
AA/band A	£750	£800	£800	£800
SGB2	£750	N/A	£800	£800
AO/band B	£850	£900	£900	£900
SGB1	£850	N/A	£900	£900

The use of pay points for pay progression may be used in future pay rounds. To provide a starting point, the 2002 pay scales have been revised and uprated. Appendix 2 of this document shows these scales. It does not show how salaries will be adjusted in this years pay round.

Attendance/eligibility rules

11. This award is effective from 1 July 2003 and will be paid in two stages:

stage one with effect from 1 July 2003
stage two with effect from 1 April 2004.

12. To qualify for this years pay award staff must be employed by DWP on 30 June 2003 and be a satisfactory performer.

13. To be entitled to a stage two payment an individual must have been employed on 30 June 2003 and 31 March 2004 and have received the stage one award. Payment of stage one will be offset when making the stage two payment subject to not exceeding the maximum of the pay scale.

14. Staff leaving the home civil service between 1 July 2003 and 31 March 2004 will not receive stage two of the pay award.

Unpaid non–attendance

15. Staff returning from career breaks, long term sick absence, (either at nil pay or sick pay at pension rate) or special leave without pay, will receive the appropriate pay award and be assimilated onto the point on the pay scale as though they had remained at work and received a qualifying appraisal marking.

Unsatisfactory performers

16. Unsatisfactory performers will have their salary frozen at pay 2002 levels unless they are below their new scale minimum, in which case their pay will be increased to the new band minimum.

Anomalous pay scales

17. Some staff from the former ITSA (ITSG), and in the former EO/HEO Accountancy pay bands have reserved rights to a maximum that remains above the corporate DWP maximum for the grade. These reserved rights apply to the staff shown in the table below:

Anomalous pay scales
ITSA (ITSG) HEO (London outer)	£31,127
ITSA (ITSG) HEO (London inner)	£31,927
ITSA (ITSG) EO (National)	£21,639
ITSA (ITSG) PES (National)	£16,821
EO accountant (National)	£23,550
EO accountant (London outer)	£26,430
EO accountant (London inner)	£27,270
HEO accountant (National)	£29,410
HEO accountant (London outer)	£33,300
HEO accountant (London inner)	£34,330

18. Staff with reserved rights to the above pay scales on 30 June 2003 will retain the right to progress to the frozen maximum of that scale until such a time as the DWP maximum exceeds the frozen maximum. All payments up to the level of the frozen maximum will be made as a consolidated award.

Reserved rights to temporary promotion

19. Staff who have protected rights to temporary promotion and are satisfactory performers or above in the temporary promotion grade/pay band, will have both their substantive and higher grade/pay band salaries progressed as normal.

Former ES staff on temporary responsibilities payment

20. Those staff who had a protected temporary responsibilities payment (TRP) rate in 2002 following merging of the split bands will continue to receive protection as follows:

The pay award will be first applied to their substantive salary
A comparison will then be made against their 2003 salary and their 2001 TRP salary to ensure that there is no detriment
Where the 2001 TRP salary is greater than the 2003 salary, the difference will be kept on a mark time basis.

Performance bonuses (formerly known as performance related pay)

21. Individual performance bonuses will be paid to all eligible staff employed by DWP and in post as at 1 July 2003 including casuals, as shown in the table below. Payment will be made as a non-consolidated lump sum payment to those staff who have achieved the box markings as set out in the tables below:

Performance bonuses
DWP (excluding child support agency)
Payband	Box 1	Box 2	Box 3	Box 4/5
Band A/AA	£160	£120	£100	Nil
Band B/AO	£190	£150	£120	Nil
Band C/EO	£240	£185	£150	Nil
Band D/HEO	£300	£230	£180	Nil
Band E/SEO	£370	£290	£220	Nil
Band F/G7	£480	£380	£290	Nil
Band G/G6	£600	£475	£360	Nil

The ex DSS HQ Box 1 – 5 system equates to the ex-DfEE box A – E system.

Performance bonuses
DWP (excluding child support agency)
Grade/payband	Box A	Box B	Box C	Box D
Band A/AA	£140	£115	Nil	Nil
Band B/AO	£180	£140	Nil	Nil
Band C/EO	£220	£175	Nil	Nil
Band D/HEO	£280	£220	Nil	Nil
Band E/SEO	£340	£275	Nil	Nil
Band F/G7	£450	£360	Nil	Nil
Band G/G6	£570	£450	Nil	Nil

The ex DSS BA box A – D system equates to the ex-DfEE 4 box marking system for officers in Runcorn.

CSA performance bonuses
Child support agency
Grades/paybands	Box A	Box B	Box C
All grades/paybands	£600	Nil	Nil

22. Performance bonus payments are non-consolidated, non-pensionable payments and non-reckonable for overtime purposes. Payments are reckonable for tax and national insurance contributions. The calculation of the amount due for the 2002-2003 performance year will be in accordance with existing pay policies as detailed in appendix 3.

23. We believe that bonus payments represent a payment for a contribution made, for example either by achieving a target or by making an exceptional contribution, as a result of continuous actual attendance at the place of work. Therefore, with effect from 1 April 2004, subject to the remainder of this paragraph and the principles in general, an individual will not be eligible for a bonus in respect of a period when they are not actually at work. Bonus schemes will therefore, other than very short term paid absences of 5 days or less in any one performance year and periods of annual, public and privilege leave, count only periods at work as reckonable for bonus payment purposes.

24. In very exceptional cases, for instance where there are out of the ordinary compassionate or public service factors that are clearly outside the control of the individual in question and not covered by existing pay and condition policies, paid absence over and above the 5 day limit can be treated as reckonable for bonus purposes. Where managers believe that there are compelling reasons to disregard a period of absence they should consult their HR business partner and obtain specific clearance from their respective business head of reward. The business head of reward must consult the corporate reward team before making a decision.

Flexible starting pay

25. From 5 April 2004 we intend to extend the availability of flexible starting pay to successful applicants for posts in recruitment exercises/trawls that are not advertised externally but are extended beyond DWP to other government departments and other designated partnerships.

26. Flexible starting pay will be available to managers to use when recruiting staff from other government departments where that recruitment is done through fair and open competition as part of a recognised exercise.

Specialist pay review

27. During 2002 and the early part of 2003 a review was carried out of the main specialist pay scales in DWP. The review included benchmarking salaries to help us compare DWP specialist pay with other public and private organisations. As a result of this review it has been decided to make some alterations to the pay arrangements for some specialist staff. These include:

Creation of some new specialist pay scales within existing specialist areas
Changes to the minimum/maximum of some specialist pay scales
Consolidation of some specialist RRAs.

28. A full explanation of changes to specialist pay scales is explained at appendix 4.

Extended working hours allowance (EWHA)

29. EWHA will be abolished from 5 April 2004. Staff in child support agency (CSA) at the 4 April 2004 will retain entitlement on a reserved right basis.

30. In order for CSA staff to have reserved rights to EWHA they would need to be:

in CSA on 4 April 2004 (this include those staff absent on authorised paid/unpaid leave)
on detached duty from CSA to another business unit within DWP on 4 April 2004 as long as the officer immediately returns to CSA after the period of detached duty ends
on paid/unpaid secondment or on loan to another government department from CSA on 4 April 2004 as long as the officer immediately returns to CSA after the period of secondment/loan ends.

31. All staff that transfer permanently out of CSA will immediately lose their entitlement to EWHA regardless of the terms of the transfer and would not regain entitlement to EWHA on any subsequent return.

32. Although EWHA is to be abolished, recruitment and retention addition policy will be enhanced to include the possibility of making payments to staff contracted to work non-standard hours where this is necessary to recruit and retain staff.

Payment of claims for excess flexi hours

33. From the 5 April 2004, claims for the payment of excess flexi hours will be calculated using the following formula, for both full and part time staff:

Annual substantive salary ÷ 52.2 ÷ 37(national)/36 (London) x FWH due.

Advances of salary

34. The policies for advances of pay have been harmonised to ensure full alignment for all staff across DWP. A full list of the policies concerned are listed at appendix 5.

Clothing allowance for uniformed staff

35. This allowance will be abolished from the 5 April 2004.

Travelling time for grades 6/band G and grade 7/band F

36. From the 5 April 2004 travelling time payments will be abolished for staff in grades 6/band G and grade7/band F across DWP.

Travelling time

37. A number of policies relating to travelling time have been harmonised to ensure full alignment for all staff across DWP. An outline of changes to the policy is provided at appendix 6.

DWP recruitment and retention addition policy (RRA)

38. We have made a number of changes to the existing RRA policy with effect from 5 April 2004. An outline of changes to the policy is provided at appendix 7.

Staff returning from loan from other government departments (OGD’s)

39. From 5 April 2004 all staff returning from being on loan to another government department will be entitled to return to DWP on a salary (subject to the DWP maximum) which is the higher of:

the salary they received in the other government department during their loan period, or
the salary they would have received had they stayed in DWP.

Responsibility allowance

40. From 1 July 2003 the rates of responsibility allowance will be as follows:

Rates of responsibility allowance
Band C/EO	£1,000 pa
Band D/HEO	£1,200 pa
Band E/SEO	£1,500 pa
Band F/G7	£2,000 pa
Band G/G6	£2,550 pa

Scottish distant islands allowance (SDIA)

41. From the 5 April 2004, SDIA will remain in payment for all DWP staff during periods of sick leave, reducing only at the same time, and in the same proportion, as sick pay is reduced. For example SDIA will be reduced by half when an officer goes on to half-rate sick pay.

Visiting officers protective clothing allowance

42. This allowance will be abolished from the 5 April 2004.

Language allowance

43. A new harmonised corporate DWP language allowance will be introduced from 5 April 2004. An outline of changes to the policy is provided at appendix 8.

Allowances

44. All pay allowances will be increased by 3.1% from 5 April 2004. This does not include the RRA or responsibility allowance payments.

2002 and 2003 pay scales - appendix 1

For details of the 2002 and 2003 pay scales please see the attached document.

Administration grades pay scales - appendix 2

In pay 2003 the use of pay points to progress up the pay scale has been suspended, and all staff have been given a grade specific progression payment eg for band B/AO (National) £850 has been added to 2002 salaries in the two stages in July and April. The use of pay points for pay progression may be used in future pay rounds. To provide a starting point, the 2002 pay scales have been revised and uprated. For further details and to view the payscales please see the attached document. It does not show how salaries will be adjusted in this years pay round.

Performance bonuses - appendix 3

Rules for eligibility in 2003 (based on 2002 – 2003 performance year)

3.1 Payment of the individual performance bonus will be based on the actual appraisal mark for the year ending 31 March 2003 and the substantive grade to which that appraisal relates. If an officer has been in the same grade/business during the reporting cycle but has more than one performance appraisal review (PAR) mark recorded, the PAR marking recorded for the performance year ending on 31 March 2003 will be used for bonus purposes

3.2 For those staff who have had a gap of less than 91 days in their performance year because of a change of grade or business, payment will be made for the full performance period on the mark and grade recorded prior to the date of change. Staff who change business units – bonus payment will be calculated on a pro-rata basis using the PAR mark held for each business unit.

3.3 Staff returning from career breaks, long-term sick absence (either at nil pay or sick pay pension rate) or special leave with out pay will not receive a performance bonus if they do not have an appraisal marking on the system for the performance year ending 31 March 2003.

3.4 Staff who change grade during the reporting cycle and have two PAR marks recorded will have the performance bonus calculated to reflect the period in each grade on a pro-rata basis using both PAR marks.

3.5 Permanent, casual, and temporary staff who have an appraisal marking for the performance period ending 31 March 2003 but were not in service for the whole of the reporting period will receive the performance bonus on a pro rata basis to reflect the number of days in service.

3.6 If there has been any break in service, other than a weekend and/or public/privilege holiday, performance bonus will be paid on a pro-rata basis from the first day of the latest period of service.

3.7 If there is a gap in PAR history no marking will be deemed. Performance bonus will only be paid once an appropriate appraisal box marking has been received.

3.8 Part time staff will receive a pro rata lump sum payment based on contractual hours during the reporting period.

Payment

3.9 The performance bonus payment will:

not erode any mark time pay currently in payment
be subject to tax and national insurance
be non-pensionable.

Specialist pay - appendix 4

Changes to specialist pay scales

4.1 Following the specialist pay review completed early in 2003, it has been decided to make changes to some of the specialist pay scales. The changes are detailed on the table below:

Changes to specialist pay scales
Accountants	Creation of a new specialist grade 6/band G and pay scale. Increase to pay scale minimum and maximum for the majority of SEO/band E and G7/band F. Withdrawl of accountancy pay ranges for EO/band C and HEO/band D.
Communications	Creation of a new specialist G7/band F and pay scale. An increase to pay scale minimum for all librarian grades. An increase to pay scale minimum for all assistant information grades.
Psychologists	Creation of a new specialist G7/band F and pay scale. An increase to pay scale minimum for SEO/band E and HEO/band D.
Audit	Creation of a new specialist G7/band F and pay scale.
Medical officer	Increase to pay scale minimum and maximum for G6/band G.
Legal	Increase to pay scale minimum and maximum for G7/band F lawyers. Increase to pay scale minimum and maximum for legal officers.
Analysts	Creation of a new specialist G6/band G and pay scale. Creation of a new specialist G7/band F and pay scale. Creation of a new "common" specialist G6/band G and pay scale for analysts working within IAD. Creation of a new "common" specialist G7/band F and pay scale for analysts working within IAD.
PSD - IT	Creation of a new specialist G6/band G and pay scale. Creation of a new specialist G7/band F and pay scale. Increase to pay scale minimum and maximum for HEO/band D and SEO/band E.

Calculation of the pay award for specialist staff

4.2 The standard progression payment will be paid in two stages.

4.3 The pay award for staff currently paid as specialists will be calculated as follows:

Stage One (1 July 2003):

the more beneficial of the new pay scale minimum or 2.6% of 2002 salary at 30 June 2003 or £500

Stage Two (1 April 2004):

The 2003 total progression payment less the award made at 1 July 2003 will be payable at 1 April 2004 with any remaining balance up to the maximum being paid. However if the increase at stage 1 to the band minimum is higher than the total progression amount, no further payment will be made.
Once this has been done a comparison will be made between the 2003 salary based on their new specialist grade and the 2003 salary they would have received had they been on the equivalent generalist pay scale. The 2003 salary will be the higher of the two calculations.

Recruitment and retention additions

4.4 Recruitment and retention addition (RRA) will be consolidated to qualifying staff in post on the pay award implementation date, with effect from 1 April 2004. The RRA will be consolidated in full at its current amount for the following groups:

IAD Analytical staff (All Grades/Bands) - £2000 or £5000
Communications (London GICS staff all Grades/Bands) - £3000
Accountancy (Grades SEO, 7 &6 Bands E, F & G) - £2000 or £3000
IT (PSD qualifying staff) - based on 13.9% of 2000 salary

4.5 Where staff are in post and are serving a formal qualifying period for either the award of an RRA or for the increase of a staged RRA, any award or further increase due will be consolidated in full from the date of entitlement.

4.6 Any specialist staff who are in receipt of a personal rate RRA which was approved on an individual skills/retention basis will continue to receive their RRA under the normal rules. It will not be consolidated into base pay and will still be subject to the normal annual review process.

4.7 With effect from 1 April 2004 the arrangements for procurement staff who qualify for an RRA will remain the same however the procurement RRA will be converted from a renewable RRA into a specific procurement allowance. Existing entitlement rules will be transferred to the new allowance.

4.8 Where an individual has their RRA consolidated the following process will be applied:

Step one - apply 2003 pay award stage 1

Step two – apply 2003 pay award stage 2

Step three – consolidate RRA within following principles:

Consolidation will be in full irrespective of whether it will exceed scale maximum;
If after consolidation, part or all of the pay award increase then exceeds the new scale maximum; the element above max will be paid as a personal pay point;
Increase to new scale minimum if still below this point (as a result of this process some staff may still be on the new scale minimum).

Generalist staff moving to specialist pay scales

4.9 Staff currently paid as generalists who will be moving to the new specialist pay scales will have their salary calculated as follows:

Stage one (1 July 2003):

Staff will move onto the same position on the new scale as they held previously on the generalist pay scale, e.g. if a person was exactly midway up the generalist pay scale then a calculation would be carried out to ensure that they were placed on an equivalent point mid-way up the new specialist scale.
The more beneficial of the increase to the pay scale minimum or 2.6% of the revised 2002 salary at 30 June 2003 or £500 will be paid.

Stage two (1 April 2004):

The 2003 total progression payment less the award made at 1 July 2003 will be payable at 1t April 2004. However if the increase at stage 1 to the band minimum is higher than the total progression amount, no further payment will be made.
Once this has been done a comparison will be made between the 2003 salary based on their new specialist grade and the 2003 salary they would have received had they remained on the equivalent generalist pay scale. The 2003 salary will be the higher of the two calculations.

Advances of salary - appendix 5

5.1 The following pay advance policies have been harmonised:

Bicycle advance
Season ticket advance
Mid-monthly advance
Holiday advance
Religious festival advance.

5.2 Unless otherwise stated, these will be effective from the 5 April 2004.

Bicycle advance

5.3 All staff who meet the appropriate qualifying conditions, can apply for an advance to purchase a bicycle and any relevant safety equipment to travel between their home and office.

5.4 The amount of the advance has an overall limit of £1,000 and line managers must:

be satisfied that the bicycle when purchased, is used for home to office travel;
see proof of purchase i.e. the receipt for the bicycle and safety equipment.

5.5 The advance is normally recovered over 12 months, with the option to repay over less time. The first recovery is made with payment of the advance.

5.6 Staff may receive a further advance to replace a bicycle only if they have repaid their previous advance.

5.7 Any outstanding balance will become immediately repayable on leaving the department.

Travel/car parking season ticket advance

5.8 All staff who meet the appropriate qualifying conditions, can apply for an advance to purchase a season ticket for travel between their home and office.

5.9 The amount of the advance is limited to the cost of the season ticket and is recovered over the period of the season ticket i.e. a quarterly ticket advance would be recovered over 3 months. The first recovery is made with payment of the advance.

5.10 Staff will be able to receive a further advance to replace a season ticket surrendered voluntarily before the expiry date where a change in personal/business circumstances justifies this. Any outstanding balance will become immediately repayable on leaving the department.

Mid-monthly advance

5.11 Mid-monthly advances will be available to all new entrants and for staff returning from a period of authorised unpaid leave.

5.12 New entrants can apply for an advance for a maximum of 6 months. The amount of advance will reduce proportionally each month as follows:

first to third month, a maximum of one half of net monthly salary
fourth and fifth months, a maximum of one third
sixth month, a maximum of one quarter of salary.

5.13 There is no overriding limit to the amount.

5.14 Staff returning from authorised unpaid leave of one month or more, can apply for an advance of up to 50% of their net monthly salary, with no overriding amount, for a maximum of 2 months.

5.15 To be eligible for a mid-monthly advance staff must not be in receipt of the religious festival/christmas advance.

Holiday advance

5.16 Staff can apply for a holiday advance for a period of annual leave, including public/privilege and flexi-time leave. This provision includes payment of an advance to reserve forces going on special leave.

5.17 To be eligible for a holiday advance staff must not:

be in receipt of a mid-monthly advance
have claimed another holiday advance in the previous month.

5.18 Staff will be able to apply for a maximum of 50% of their net monthly salary.

5.19 A holiday advance needs to have been fully recovered before a further application can be made.

5.20 The advance should be applied for in time for it to be paid with the salary in the month prior to that in which the leave starts. It will be recovered from the next salary payment.

Religious festival advance (formerly christmas advance)

5.21 Staff will be able to apply for up to 4 advances per year for religious festivals e.g. Christmas, Eid Ul Adha, Diwali, Hannukah (this list is not exhaustive.)

5.22 To be eligible for a religious festival advance staff must not be in receipt of:

a mid-monthly advance, or
have claimed a holiday advance in the previous month.

5.23 Staff will be able to apply for up to 50% of net monthly salary.

5.24 The advance is paid mid-monthly and recovered from the net monthly salary paid at the end of the month.

Travelling Time - appendix 6

6.1 With effect from 5 April 2004 the following travelling time (T/T) policies have been harmonised. These are:

Definition of travelling time and official travel.
Part time staff claiming travelling time.
Minimum amount of time that can be claimed.
Travel between home and office.
Deductions for normal home to office when travel is elsewhere on a non working day i.e. Saturday or Sunday.
Travelling time on detached duty.
Permanent transfers.

6.2 Policy will define travelling time and official travel as:

staff may be compensated for time spent on official travel outside of their individual daily contracted hours.

6.3 Official travel is travel on official business it includes:

attending DWP Group selection boards
attending promotion boards
attending training courses
journeys made on recall to duty from annual leave
daily travel to and from a detached duty location when it is not classed as a “stay away” location.
travelling when attending for overtime working at weekends.

6.4 Official travel does not include:

travel between home and permanent office
daily travel to and from a detached duty location when this is classed as a ‘stay away’ location (see intermediate travel below)
travel on first taking up duty or finally leaving the service
return home travel at weekends from a:
detached duty location, unless this is a public/bank holiday
new permanent location.

Intermediate travel

6.5 If staff voluntarily return home rather than staying overnight for the intermediate period, they are paid for the excess travelling time as long as this is not more than the difference between:

the night subsistence or lodging allowance saved, and
any fares, mileage, allowances and day subsistence allowance paid.

6.6 Staff cannot be given time off in lieu for these intermediate journeys. They must claim the limited payment.

6.7 Staff cannot be paid travelling time for mid-weekend journeys. These journeys must be excluded from the claim.

6.8 If staff stay overnight at the new location and return home only for intervening weekends, they are not eligible for payment of travelling time for those weekend journeys. Only travelling time for the initial journey to and the final journey from the new location may be paid.

Travelling time for part-time staff

6.9 Travelling time policy will be aligned so that, all part-time staff can claim travelling time at the appropriate daily rate without first having to complete full time conditioned hours.

Minimum amount of travelling time that can be claimed

6.10 The payment of travelling time is to be aligned to the most beneficial rate for staff. Staff will be able to claim and be paid for travelling time amounting to 15 minutes, and thereafter in multiples of 15 minutes. Provisions will exist for any balance or where payment cannot be made to be added to flexi sheets.

Travelling time between home and office for overtime during the week

6.11 Staff that have to make an additional home to office journey to attend work in the evening outside the normal opening hours of their office, then the time spent travelling can be claimed as travelling time. If staff attend work outside normal office hours and this links with work during normal office hours (i.e. staff did not return home between working their normal hours and the excess hours) then they cannot claim any travel time.

6.12 This will not replace the recall to duty allowance provisions for those staff that are eligible.

Deductions for normal home to office travel time when travel is elsewhere on a non working day

6.13 Staff will no longer be required to make a deduction for normal home to office travel when travelling on a non working day.

Travelling home at weekends during periods of detached duty

6.14 Travelling time is not payable during periods of detached duty at a stay away location, for travel home on intervening weekends, except on weekends incorporating a bank holiday.

6.15 Travelling time is payable for the first journey to the detached duty location and the final journey home when the period of detached duty has ended.

Travelling time on compulsory transfer

6.16 Staff that are transferred permanently at public expense to a new location that justifies moving home, can only claim travel time for the initial journey to their new location.

6.17 Legacy child support agency (CSA) policy allows for staff that have been compulsory transferred because their office has closed or, CSA work has been moved from the office to claim travelling time for three years. This provision will be abolished from the 5th April 2004.

6.18 CSA staff who have been compulsory transferred, or have a compulsory transfer arranged prior to the 5th April 2004 as a result of their office having closed or the CSA work been moved from the office will retain a reserved right to claim travelling time for up to three years from their date of transfer.

6.19 If an officer voluntarily permanently transfers from CSA then eligibility to claim the additional travelling time ceases.

DWP recruitment and retention addition policy (RRA) - appendix 7

7.1 From 5 April 2004 there are a number of changes to the RRA policy currently contained in DWP HR circular 23/02 these are as follows:

The current DWP RRA policy will remain in place but the arrangements for the review of awards will change. Awards of RRA will be able to be reviewed at any time within the 12-month award period, but no later than the annual review date, in response to changes in circumstances
Awards of RRA are entered onto the payroll system and include an appropriate end date. There are a number of RRAs in payment prior to the new policy that required no end date. These awards will be closed from 31 March 2004 with no further payment made. This will allow managers time to consider whether a RRA is still appropriate and if so to submit a business case for consideration under the current policy
In addition the policy will be enhanced to enable businesses to make a case for a RRA to be paid to staff who normally are contracted to work non-standard hours/days.

7.2 Where it is necessary to recruit and retain staff of a suitable calibre to work non-standard hours, the facility to offer additional payments (ie RRAs) should be available subject to meeting the relevant RRA criteria.

Language allowance - appendix 8

8.1 From 5 April 2004 a new corporate DWP language allowance will be introduced for staff in administrative bands/grades and executive band C/EO. Eligible staff will be required to use foreign language or British sign language in the course of their duties.

8.2 All the current allowances/RRAs will be abolished and replaced by the new allowance. There will be no requirement to allow staff to retain the abolished allowances on a reserved rights basis except for 4 staff currently in receipt of foreign language allowance of £691, as the rate is more beneficial. Payment for the new allowance will end when staff no longer meet the eligibility criteria.

8.3 Staff in administrative bands/grades and executive band C/EO may be considered for the DWP language allowance if they use foreign languages other than those indigenous to the British Isles for at least 25% of their time in the course of their normal duties, or, use British sign language regularly in the normal course of their duties. It is for managers to decide what constitutes regular use.

8.4 Full rate language allowance is £500 pa paid pro rata to part time staff.

8.5 Where managers decide their business requires them to keep a retainer list of staff to provide cover for leave etc they may select staff to place on the list. There is no automatic right for any staff member to be placed on the list and there is no minimum usage of their time.

8.6 Reserve rate language allowance is £250 pa paid pro rata to part time staff.

2003 DWP imposed pay offer

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