The PSA has been made aware of a number of instances where members have been told they are required to provide receipts to access their entitlement to a meal allowance on a one-day journey. The entitlement to these allowances comes from clause 31.1 of the Award. This can be found below:

31.1    A staff member who is authorised by the Commissioner to undertake a one-day journey on official business which does not require the staff member to obtain overnight accommodation, will be paid the appropriate rate of allowance set out in Item 1 – Allowances of Table 2 of Part B, Monetary Rates for: –

31.1.1 Breakfast when required to commence travel at or before 6.00 a.m. and at least 1 hour before the prescribed starting time;
31.1.2 An evening meal when required to travel until or beyond 6.30 p.m.; and
31.1.3 Lunch when required to travel a total distance on the day of at least 100 kilometres and, as a result, is located at a distance of at least 50 kilometres from the staff member’s normal headquarters at the time of taking the normal lunch break.

Members should be aware that if you are entitled to any of the above allowances there is no requirement to furnish receipts. The NSW Police Force is of the view that a staff member must have incurred an expense to access this entitlement but accepts that there is no explicit requirement for receipts to be provided. If members find themselves in a situation where they are being asked to provide receipts for these allowances they are encouraged to get into contact with the PSA.