BRITISH workers have collectively lost out on a staggering £962 million in unclaimed expense in the last year.

In Scotland, the average value of unclaimed expenses totalled £132.47 per person as a result of workers who failed to submit their forms.

Scots who incurred expenses claimed, on average, £994.77 in the last year, and the smallest amount they would claim for is £8.43, according to new research.

At the top of the list of reasons of Brits who failed to file expenses included deeming the value “too low to be worth the hassle” and losing receipts.

Half of those who incurred business costs were frustrated at having to pay for them using their own funds before being reimbursed by their company.

More than a third experienced cash flow issues while waiting for their expense claims to be reconciled, with almost one in ten even missing a payment on a personal credit card as a result.

Visiting in-laws, ironing and cleaning the house were all activities workers would rather do than submit their expenses, the team at Barclaycard found.

Personal finance expert, Annie Shaw, described the findings as “eye-opening.”

She added: “With some resorting to paying out of their own pocket to cover company costs, it’s clear action needs to be taken to prevent employees footing the bill.

However, the responsibility also lies with the individual and there are simple steps everyone can take to make sure they claim back any business costs they’ve paid for.

“My main advice for those who submit expenses is to make sure it’s done on time.

“It’s also important to hang on to receipts - making use of email receipts where possible for ease - and trying to make regular time in the working week to go through the process.

“There are also several ways businesses can make it easier for workers to complete their expenses, including providing corporate credit cards and encouraging them to submit claims on time.”