Processing Expense Claims

After completing an approved activity, Fellows submit expense claims through lowFAT.

Claims must:

  • Be linked to an approved funding request
  • Include a completed University of Edinburgh Non-Staff Expenses Claim Form
  • Include all supporting receipts compiled into a single PDF

Staff are responsible for reviewing claims for completeness and compliance before passing them for payment.

Accessing an Expense Claim

Expense claims can be accessed from the Dashboard.

  • Locate the claim under the relevant status column
  • Click “Review” under the Actions column

This opens the expense claim review form.

What to Check

When reviewing an expense claim, staff should verify the following:

  • The claim is linked to an approved funding request

  • The Fellow has downloaded the latest version of the University of Edinburgh Non-Staff Expenses Claim Form from the SSI website

  • Sections 1–5 of the form are fully completed, including:
    • Supplier number (if previously issued)
    • Full name and home address (not work address)
    • Bank details — correct and clearly filled in
    • Section 3 “For the purpose of” field
      • Must include: lowFAT ID, Fellow name, and reason
      • Example: 777 J Smith – Travel to London for RSECon
    • Name and date in Section 5
  • The claim form is:
    • Saved in MS Word format
    • Named correctly:
      • lowFAT ID – Initial Family Name
      • Example: 777 J Smith
  • Receipts and documentation:
    • All receipts are numbered to match Section 4
    • Each claimed item has a formal receipt or VAT invoice
    • Bank/card statement excerpts are provided where required:
      • Foreign currency payments
      • Accommodation
      • Conference tickets
      • International flights
      • Part payments from group bills
    • The currency for payment is clearly stated
    • All receipts are compiled into a single PDF

Receipts and Proof of Payment

Staff should ensure Fellows have adhered to the following rules:

  • Credit or debit card slips are not sufficient alone
    • An itemised receipt or invoice must accompany them
  • Hotel booking confirmations are not accepted as proof of payment
    • A VAT invoice after the stay plus a bank statement excerpt is required
  • Online order confirmations are not accepted
    • A VAT invoice must be obtained

  • Alcohol must not be included in any claim

  • Business or first-class travel is not reimbursable

  • Internal UK flights are not permitted under the UoE Sustainable Travel Policy

  • Equipment such as:
    • Computers
    • Laptops
    • Tablets
    • Monitors
    • Printers
      are not eligible

Expense Claim Statuses

Status Staff Action / Meaning
Submitted Claim received and awaiting staff review
Processing Claim is being actively reviewed and processed by the Finance team
Returned to claimant for Review/Action Further information or corrections required from the Fellow
Pending for approval Claim completed and sent to SSI Directorate for internal approval
Approved Claim approved and sent to UoE Finance for payment
Waiting for blog post Claim cannot proceed until a blog post is submitted
Rejected Claim rejected
Cancelled Cancelled by the reviewer or Fellow
Note:
All communications with Fellows about their claims (e.g. requests for additional documentation) are logged within lowFAT.

Amount Discrepancies

If a claim exceeds the originally approved funding request by more than 20%, the Fellow must provide justification.

Staff should review this explanation carefully before approving the claim.

Invoiced Claims and UoE-Based Fellows

Fellows based at UK universities who are claiming directly from SSI should not use the standard Non-Staff Expenses Claim Form.

Instead:

  • Payment is made via Purchase Order and invoice
  • Staff should contact SSI Finance to arrange this
  • This process must be initiated at least two months in advance
Important:
The University of Edinburgh will not allow work to begin without a Purchase Order in place.

Advance Bookings

In certain cases (e.g. long-haul flights), SSI can arrange travel directly on behalf of a Fellow.

  • This is handled outside the standard expense claim process
  • It incurs additional administrative overhead
  • It is managed case-by-case
For the advance booking:
Fellows should email: fellows-management@software.ac.uk

Payments

Payments are typically processed within a few weeks after approval.

Payment tracking is managed separately from lowFAT by the Finance and Fellowship Programme Team.

Reviewing an Expense Claim

Once all checks are complete, update the claim using the review form.

All required fields and guidance are provided within the form itself.

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