Hackathon Pilot: Tenant Participation Pack
The expenses policy and benefits note for tenants taking part in the AI for Better Housing Hackathon Pilot: what we reimburse, how to claim, and how the optional thank-you payment interacts with Universal Credit.
This pack was written for tenants taking part in the AI for Better Housing Hackathon Pilot on 26 February 2026 in Manchester. It is published here as an open resource for anyone running a similar event.
1. Expenses policy
Purpose
Remove financial barriers to attend while keeping participation voluntary and outside employment law.
Eligibility
Registered participants who attend. Carers attending to support a participant.
What we reimburse
- Public transport: Standard class. Actual cost with receipt. Use advance/off-peak when reasonable.
- Private car: 45p/mile. Parking and tolls with receipts.
- Taxi/PHV: Only if required for access, safety, late finish, or no viable public transport. Pre-approval recommended.
- Childcare: Receipted costs from Ofsted-registered providers. Non-registered care considered only in exceptional cases with prior written approval.
- Mobile data/calls: Up to £5 with receipt where needed for event tasks.
- Meals: Lunch and hot drinks provided. Additional food not reimbursed unless agreed for medical/dietary needs.
- Access costs: Interpreters, support workers, reasonable equipment hire. Pre-approval required.
What we don’t reimburse
Alcohol, first-class travel, unreceipted purchases (except mileage), lost wages or loss of earnings.
Rates and caps
Mileage 45p/mile. No cap for reasonable travel. Caps may apply to access costs and childcare as agreed at approval.
How to claim
- Complete the claim form.
- Attach receipts. For mileage, record start/end postcodes and miles.
- Submit within 14 days. Late claims may be rejected.
- Payment by bank transfer within 10 working days of approval.
Thank-you payment
A separate £60 completion honorarium is available. It recognises contribution and is optional. It may count as income for benefits or tax. See the benefits note below.
Status statement
Attendance is voluntary. No employment relationship. No minimum hours. You may leave at any time.
Data protection
We use your data only to process payments and for audit. Claims are stored securely for 6 years. See our privacy notice.
Queries and approvals
Guy Marshall, contact: guy@fuza.co.uk
2. Benefits note (plain English)
Read this before choosing the thank-you payment.
Two types of payments
- Reimbursed expenses (travel, childcare, access costs): usually ignored for UC if they only cover actual costs. Keep receipts.
- Thank-you payment (£60 for completing the day): normally treated as income for UC and may reduce your UC for that month (your assessment period).
UC taper rule
If your monthly earnings are above any Work Allowance, UC reduces by 55p for every £1 of extra income. Example: a £60 thank-you could reduce UC by up to £33. If your earnings sit below your Work Allowance, there may be no reduction.
Reporting the thank-you
If you take it, report it in your UC journal under “Money from other sources.” Keep our remittance email as evidence. We pay by bank transfer.
Your choices
- Expenses-only: Claim expenses and decline the thank-you.
- Delay timing: Ask us to pay the thank-you in a later month to avoid a clash with other earnings.
- Take part without payment: You can attend without any payment.
Other benefits
Legacy benefits and Council Tax Support have different rules. Check before opting in.
Independent advice
We cannot give personalised benefits advice. For guidance contact Citizens Advice or a local welfare rights service. Explain: one-off honorarium £60, plus reimbursed expenses.
Questions or to set expenses-only
Email Guy Marshall at guy@fuza.co.uk before the event.
Licence
This page is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. You may share and adapt it with attribution and under the same licence.