Core Employee Benefits
The employee benefits listed below are all benefits that are paid for directly from your salary each month. Some of these benefits are salary sacrifice and so can have an effect on tax and national insurance contributions.
Apple Childcare Vouchers
Apple Childcare Vouchers
Corporate Travel Club - First Group
Corporate Travel Club - First Group
Give As You Earn
Give As You Earn
Health Shield
Health Shield
Metrocard Discount
Metrocard Discount
Northern Rail Season Ticket
Northern Rail Season Ticket
Payroll Giving
Payroll Giving
Sports & Fitness Department
Sports & Fitness Department
Travel Season Ticket Loans
Travel Season Ticket Loans
Valli Opticians
Valli Opticians
Apple Childcare Vouchers
*** APPLE CHILDCARE VOUCHERS ARE NOW CLOSED FOR NEW APPLICANTS ***
The childcare vouchers scheme is changing this year and so from 4 October 2018 you will not be able to join the existing Apple childcare vouchers scheme. If you have already joined, then you will be able to continue for as long as you stay with the University.
The new scheme is called ‘Tax-Free Childcare’ and is administered by the Government. This new scheme will benefit some families but there will be some families who will not be eligible for the new scheme and they will lose out. For more information see Childcare_Voucher_Changes_October_2018.
If you no longer wish to contribute to the Apple Childcare Voucher Scheme, then you should contact them direct to inform them of this. A refund of contributions will only be made for vouchers deducted in the current tax year i.e. April 2022 to March 2023. You should therefore ensure that you only order vouchers that you know you can spend. Any contributions that relate to a prior year will need to be used before you cancel your membership with Apple, or the funds will be lost.
Information can also be provided by calling Apple Childcare Vouchers on 0845 602 9459 or email info@applechildcarevouchers.co.uk.
Corporate Travel Club - First Group
Make substantial savings off the cost of a First Bus monthly ticket. Simply sign up to the easy, no hassle, monthly direct debit scheme for a minimum period of twelve months and start saving today!! Average discounts available under this scheme exceed 20%.
- Check that First Group buses cover your area by checking at First Group (Calderdale/Huddersfield) or First Group (Manchester)
(First Bus service currently does not cover the Barnsley area) - Call the CTC Hotline on 0345 3409021 and a member of their dedicated Travel Team will advise the discounted price for the ticket you wish to purchase
- Quote University of Huddersfield and your payroll number to order your ticket
- Agree the date you want your ticket to start (minimum of 5 working days notice must be given)
- Pay for your first monthly ticket immediately using a debit or credit card
- Tickets will be posted direct to your home address
- To continue receiving your ticket this way simply sign and return the monthly direct debit mandate to cover the rest of the year
- You will receive the relevant monthly ticket 5 days before the current one expires provided that First Group have received your monthly direct debit payment
Give As You Earn
The University is registered with the Charities Aid Foundation to operate the Give As You Earn Scheme. This allows you to make regular tax free charitable donations by deduction from your salary and is now available online.
Please email payroll@hud.ac.uk for a link to sign up and give to charity in under 3 minutes.
You can visit the GAYE site to obtain more information about charitable giving. The site allows you to make a detailed search for the charities you wish to support. If you don’t want to support one specific charity on a regular basis you can use GAYE to fund a CAF Charity Account. The great thing about a Charity Account is that you're always in charge. You can change which charities you give to – and vary the amounts you give. You need to commit to giving a minimum of £10 a month to open a Charity Account. You can register for a Charity Account online.
Health Shield Health Cash Plan
What’s a Health Cash Plan?
A Health Cash Plan is a money back scheme that allows you to claim money back on everyday healthcare costs such as dental, optical, massages and much more. University of Huddersfield have teamed up with Health and Wellbeing provider Health Shield to offer you via payroll, access to a Health Cash Plan. You can include your partner and children too.
You can get money back on benefits related to mental health too. Claiming is easy and once approved, Health Shield can pop the money into your bank account.
What benefits can I get?
You have a range of benefits that you can claim back the cost for and there’s an annual limit on how much you can claim for each benefit per year. There are other wellness benefits related to hospital, specialist consultations, maternity and even a hot stone or deep tissue massage. Once a member, you’ll access your benefits through the Members’ Area, which contains all the information you need to help you stay in the best of health.
How do I apply?
Deducted monthly from your salary, it’s an affordable, simple, and accessible way to claim back the costs of your everyday healthcare and help manage the health and wellbeing of you and your family.
Simply click the link and join today
For more information take a look at the Corporate Membership Plan
Have a question? Take a look at our FAQs
Or if you would like a chat about your scheme, contact Clare Bond, your Employee Wellbeing Consultant on 01270 588555 or email cbond@healthshield.co.uk
Metrocard Discount
The University of Huddersfield is a member of the West Yorkshire Travel Plan Network and staff are entitled to a 12% discount on a Corporate Annual MCard which allows them to travel on buses and trains throughout West Yorkshire. Employees can join the scheme at any time of year and will be able to pay for the annual card through instalment payments via payroll deduction.
Who is eligible?
All staff, except for casual members of staff, who are paid via the University payroll and have a contract of employment in place for the duration of the repayment period. There is no length of service requirement but your level of earnings must be sufficient to repay your instalments. Unfortunately, we are unable to accept applications from affiliate account holders and postgraduate researchers, who are not normally on the University payroll. We are unable to accept applications from casual members of staff as they have no guaranteed hours of work.
How much does it cost?
Corporate Annual MCard prices from 1st April 2024 – please see the available card types and prices on the list below.
How do I join?
To apply for a Corporate Annual MCard you must:
- Complete the University Payroll Deduction Form Apr 24 (or download below) and email a signed copy to the Payroll Office
- Go to the MCard website www.m-card.co.uk/the-cards/corporate-annual-mcard/ and order your card online.
- You will need to enter your payroll number and
- The organisation ID ‘UNI7’ when prompted.
- You will also need to upload a new photo when registering for the first time. See below for a step by step guide to the online process.
After you have submitted both forms your application will be assessed before approval, after which your MCard will be delivered to your home address just before your card is due to start.
When do I need to apply?
You can join the scheme any time of year and will be provided with a full year’s travel card. You will receive your card 5-8 weeks after you submit your application. Please ignore any deadlines on the MCard website – the University deadlines follow the pattern below:
|
Apply between 1 – 31 December |
Your card will start 1 February |
|
Apply between 1 – 31 January |
Your card will start 1 March |
|
Apply between 1– 28 February |
Your card will start 1 April |
Who do I contact for further information?
If you have any queries please contact the Sustainability Team at sustainability@hud.ac.uk or 01484 472550.
Links
Guide to applying for MCard online
Northern Rail Season Ticket
The University has made an arrangement with Northern Rail under the travel season ticket loan scheme to purchase a ticket between 2 chosen destinations.
This gives you unlimited travel anytime between your 2 destinations for the price of 40 weeks travel saving you 12 weeks.
If you are paid via the University payroll and have a contract of employment in place for the duration of the repayment period of 12 months. There is no length of service requirement but your level of earnings must be sufficient to repay your instalments then you can use the following link to apply for a season ticket.
Payroll Giving
This is an easy way to give to charity, good cause or place of worship. Payroll giving is a deduction taken from your pay after National Insurance but before tax, so for every £1 you pledge it will cost you 80p on the basic rate taxpayers (or 60p for higher rate taxpayers).
You can stop, change, increase or decrease your donations at any time. If you wish to start a payroll giving donation please sign up at www.huddersfielduni.givingonline.org.uk
Sports & Fitness Department
As a member of staff at the University of Huddersfield you have a number of options when it comes to joining Team Hud, so why not take advantage of our great offers and work towards achieving a healthy body and a healthy mind.
All the below memberships give you access to Student Central which houses the brand new Fitness Suite which features the latest ARTIS Range from Technogym. The ARTIS Range will make the University of Huddersfield the first Educational Institution in the world to have the whole range! From browsing the web to playing Angry Birds you can truly do everything on this equipment.
Staff membership
As a member of staff here at the University of Huddersfield Team Hud have a number of membership options to suit everyone.
All the below memberships give you access to the the Learning and Leisure Centre's brand new Fitness Suite which features the latest ARTIS Range from Technogym. The ARTIS Range will make the University of Huddersfield the first Educational Institution in the world to house the whole range! From browsing the web to playing Angry Birds you can truly do everything on this equipment.
For the lastest membership prices please visit https://active.hud.ac.uk/memberships/
As well as the option to pay upfront you can choose to pay via payroll for all Staff 12 month membership options. Ask a member of Team Hud for further information. Alternatively email activehud@hud.ac.uk.
Travel Season Ticket Loans
The University can make a loan available for the purchase of season tickets for travel by rail (second class fare), bus or other approved transport.
All employees of the University who have completed six month's service and whose appointments have at least twelve months to run are eligible to apply.
Loans are repayable by deduction from monthly salary by equal instalments over a ten month period, starting in the month the loan is agreed.
Further details and an application form are available in the Staff Handbook and can also be downloaded Travel Season Ticket Loan Application Form
Valli Opticians provide the following services for University staff
University Valli Opticians Services
University Valli Opticians PEAR Services