Benefits Plus

Benefits Plus is a smarter way to pay for your benefits; it enables you to reduce the amount of National Insurance (NI) contributions and in some cases the amount of income tax you pay. The University can also reduce the amount of NI it pays.

The University already uses this approach for the childcare voucher scheme, and in October 2008 will be extending it to cover pension contributions, on-site parking and the new cycle to work scheme.

This site explains how Benefits Plus works, in particular the introduction of Pensions Plus which is a more efficient way of making pension contributions. Also outlined are the parking (Parking Plus), childcare vouchers (Childcare Plus) and cycling (Cycle Plus) schemes.

How it works

It’s very simple. If you agree to give up part of your gross contractual salary equal to the cost of any part of Benefits Plus, the University will pay this cost on your behalf. As a result, and depending on the benefits you choose, you no longer have to pay NI contributions and in some cases tax on the amount you have given up. For Pensions Plus and Parking Plus your take home pay will be greater than if you received the benefits under the existing arrangements.  The amount you save depends on how much you earn and which parts of Benefits Plus you participate in.

Who is eligible to join

All University staff will be eligible for Benefits Plus, unless participating would mean:

• your contractual earnings are less than £6,600 a year, the Benefits Plus Pay Protection Limit (PPL) or
• your earnings fall below the National Minimum Wage (NMW).

Most employees will benefit under Benefits Plus but if either of these applies to you, you will be automatically opted out of the relevant part of Benefits Plus. For more information, see Benefits Plus: frequently asked questions.

If you currently participate in childcare vouchers and/or you hold a University parking permit, any amount you take as childcare vouchers or pay for your parking permit will be taken into account when checking your earnings against the PPL and NMW. More information is given in Benefits Plus: frequently asked questions.

The University’s savings

The savings made by the University through Pensions Plus will mean that the costs of employment will be lower and therefore all faculties will have additional funding available.

Savings from Parking Plus and Cycle Plus will be used to provide additional support for sustainable transport and on-campus environmental initiatives.

The implications if you join Benefits Plus will not affect any other salary-related payments or benefits that you receive from the University, such as salary increases, shift allowances and overtime. These will be based on your reference salary which is your annual salary before Benefits Plus. Your reference salary will also be the amount used in any personal official letters eg mortgage letters, loan applications or job references.

Your pensionable salary will be based on your reference salary including any other earnings which are recognised by the University as pensionable. Your basic State Pension will not be adversely affected.

Please note that by participating in any part of Benefits Plus, you are agreeing to a change to your contractual terms and conditions of employment. This is explained in more detail in Benefits Plus: frequently asked questions.

Opting in and out

As we expect almost all employees to benefit from Benefits Plus, as long as you are eligible and want to participate, you will be automatically enrolled in the appropriate parts of Benefits Plus.

But, if you do decide to opt out, you will either need to complete and return an opt out form, or notify the relevant departments. Specific details on what you need to do to opt out can be found in the relevant section of this website.