ALFA Claim Forms

How do I claim payment, travel and subsistence?

1. Please note that claim forms are issued annualy and are specific to the support service and academic year of service.  Every year the correct claim form will be issued with all other relevant documentation.  Use of invalid claim forms results in needless delays.
2. The Associates and Local Facilitators will send their travel and subsistence claim forms with any relevant receipts and with a copy of their diary for that month to their Team Leader or administrator at the relevant Administration Base (This Associates and Local Facilitators Claim Form for Expenses/Fees should arrive no later than 7 days after the end of the month to ensure prompt payment.   
3. Claim forms received with more than 3 months recorded will only receive payments for the earliest 3 months per payroll.
4. Claims received for the previous academic year may be subject to a % reduction in Payment.
5. The relevant administrator and Team Leader checks these from a management perspective (to ensure that the Associate/Local Facilitator is working in the schools/education centre as scheduled, and that all overnights were sanctioned in advance using the criteria as advised by the Department of Education and Skills over 100KM no less than 50 KM from your home or base education centre. The Director/Team Leader then signs these in the appropriate section marked “Service Verified by” and sends these directly to BEC, no later than five working days after receipt.
6. Technical checking (calculation of correct rates) is undertaken by ALFA at Blackrock Education Centre.
7. Following processing, the travel and subsistence is paid directly to the Associates’ and Local Facilitators’ bank accounts, and all documentation is retained at ALFA in Blackrock EC for audit purposes.

Claim forms for each academic year may be obtained from your support service or ALFA, details of travel and subsistence payable is supplied in the ALFA handbook issued with your Associate or Local Facilitator paperwork at the commencement of employment by a Support Service. 
Claim Form FAQ’s
Q. What should I claim if I attend  Training and deliver Work  on the same trip?
A. Payment for travel will be paid at the training rate in one direction and full travel rate for the return  journey. No change to subsistence / lecture hours .
Q. What causes delays in processing my claim
A.  Most delays are caused by failure to follow instructions provided in the handbook.  Common mistakes include:        

• Date/Time not completed – This prevents ALFA from calculating the appropriate rate for any lecture hours claimed.
• Size of car engine not included  – This prevents ALFA from calculating the rate of payment for  travel.
• Is this for delivered work or training attended? - This prevents ALFA from calculating the rate for travel (unless lecture hours have been advised)
• Date is listed as work  but no contact hours are listed –This prevents ALFA from calculating the pay,  travel or hours worked until Lecture hours are confirmed by your team leader.
• Departure time / Return Time  not recorded on claim form – This prevents ALFA from calculating  subsistence, if any due.
• Incomplete venue address on claim form  ( e.g. Dublin), -  This prevents ALFA from calculating correct distances travelled.  This may result in reduced mileage allowed.   

Q.  Why have I not received payment for toll charges?
A. With the exceptions of travel and subsistence payments, all expenses claimed must be accompanied with a valid receipt.   Thus, tolls cannot be paid without a valid receipt for the date travelled. If you have a toll tag system your statement  can be downloaded and the dates in question highlighted and attached to your form.
Q. Why have I not received payment for subsistence?
A. Claims for subsistence must be specifically recorded on each claim form.   Unless otherwise stated, it is assumed that accommodation/meals etc were provided by the relevant support service.
Q.  Why has my travel been reduced?

• DES calculates distances travelled using Google Maps only; from  base or home - whichever distance is shortest and irrelevant of the actual route taken.  While other methods of calculating distances travelled may give other results, the DES will only pay based on Google Maps calculations.
• If a claim is submitted with distance of one part of the journey recorded (e.g. return journey assumed but not recorded),  ALFA can only pay on the distances recorded on the claim form.  Due to auditing restrictions ALFA are prevented from altering a form, even in cases of obvious errors.