Adam's £400 Uniform Tax Refund Story

             

Adam Jeffrey has loved trains since he was introduced to Thomas the Tank Engine as a toddler so it was inevitable that he would make a career on the railways – he works as a technician for Network Rail testing and fixing track around the country.

It was on one of his assignments that he met a sub-contractor who told him about claiming a uniform tax allowance via Uniform Tax Rebate. Adam, aged 22, from Stoke, has to have two uniforms for work – high-visibility orange overalls for track work and polo shirts and chinos for office-based days.

So he applied and received a rebate of more than £400. Not only that, he told two work colleagues who also applied and received hundreds of pounds too.

“I didn’t expect to get the amount I did so I’m very happy,” says Adam. “I was chatting with a sub-contractor in the pub after work and he showed me the website. It was an easy process, and I also found I was entitled to more money because I do a lot of overtime and discovered I’d paid too much tax. It was a win/win situation.”

It’s clear to see that Adam loves his work. “It’s like a holiday every day for me,” he admits. From his work base at Derby, he travels the East and West Coast Lines – “we make sure Britain’s railways say safe” he says.

 

“I’ve loved trains all my life, right from Thomas the Tank Engine. When I left school I thought about training as a boilersmith but I joined Network Rail on a three-year apprenticeship as a track layer. This included a year in Portsmouth as part of my training.”

It’s no surprise that Adam’s love of trains continues into his hobbies – he helps out at the Foxfield Steam Railway near Stoke. And it’s also no surprise that he spent his tax rebate on them – specifically on a Remus miniature steam train which he’s in the process of restoring. It will eventually be used to take passengers for rides on a miniature track at Foxfield.

“The engine’s boiler had a few problems,” explains Adam. “The pipes inside had to be replaced so the tax rebate has funded that. I’ve stripped it, done a full service, repainted it and it’s had a new brake box. When it’s finished it should be able to haul around 20 passengers.

“I love working on it. Some people get to the end of the day and relax with a glass of wine, I like playing with steam engines!”