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. 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 the 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 means that the costs of employment will be lower and therefore all Colleges / University Services will have additional funding available.
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 in or out can be found in the relevant section of this website.