The current cost of living crisis means that many of us are struggling to cover essential household costs. As we continue to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic and with current cost-of-living pressures, it’s more important than ever that we get support and are aware of what help is available.
A subsidised £1.99 hot meal offer has been introduced by the university to ensure that there is a low cost, nutritious and high value hot food option available on campus to help with the cost-of-living crisis. The offer is available for students, staff and visitors between 11:30am – 2pm, Monday to Friday during term time. The meals will be served from the ‘Eco Eats’ catering outlet on Level 5 Student Central.
The University of Huddersfield and the Student’s Union have partnered with Too Good To Go to reduce food waste on campus and provide the opportunity to buy delicious and substantial food for only £3. To prevent delicious fresh food going to waste at University catering outlets, you can sign up to find out when ‘magic bags’ of food are available for £3. You can find out more information about how to sign up on the Huddersfood webpage.
Active Hud offer a number of exercise classes throughout the week which are free for University staff to attend. There is a wide variety of activities to choose from including Pilates, Kung Fu, Yoga, Trampolining and also Les Mills Body Pump and Body Combat. You can find out more information here: Active Hud Active Wellbeing
Our Staff Wellbeing Confidential Support service, offers a variety of lifestyle saving tips to help save money, these include:
TOTUM is the new name for the NUS Extra Student Card. Staff are also eligible to apply for a TOTUM Card which brings you over 200 UK student discounts and comes with 1 year FREE ISIC un-locking over 42,000 international discounts.
All members of staff who are Display Screen Equipment (DSE) users are entitled to a free sight test. These are provided by Valli Opticians which are located on campus. As well as a free sight test, they also offer staff a 20% discount on glasses and a 10% discount on contact lenses. Please visit the DSE webpage for more information on this.
Staff members can access a number of discounts for travel. These include a 20% discount on a First Bus monthly ticket and 12% discount on an annual ‘MCard’ for bus and train travel throughout West Yorkshire. You can also purchase a Northern Rail annual season ticket for unlimited travel between two destinations for 52 weeks for the price of 40 weeks. You can find more information on these discounts and how to sign up to them here: Core Employee Benefits - University of Huddersfield
All staff benefits can be found on the central Employee Benefits webpage. Included are benefits related to:
Bread and Butter Thing - If you are struggling to afford food for you or your family, this is a local low-cost food membership scheme. By joining this scheme, you can get £35 worth of food for £7.50.
Kirklees Cost of Living Crisis - Kirklees hub for Cost of Living Crisis information.
Free School Meals in Kirklees – If you receive certain benefits, your child could get free school meals. You can find out more and apply online.
Kirklees Welfare Provision – If you are need of immediate help, the local welfare provision helps people in short-term crisis with food and essential items.
Kirklees Citizens Advice and Law Centre – This service can refer you to a local food bank, check your entitlements for government funded support and budgeting and debt advice.
Money advice for people living in a council property – Free and impartial advice for tenants on a wide range of support including energy debt, budgeting and money management, insolvency, rent matters and more.
Warmer Homes Kirklees – A range of information to help you heat your home, top tips to be energy smart to reduce bills and information on grants available to help with domestic gas and electricity bills.
Better off Kirklees – Here you can find out about the benefits you are entitled to and get help to apply for them online.
Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reductions – check if you could get housing benefit to help with your rent, or council tax reduction, and apply online.
Auntie Pam’s – This organisation provides support for local women and families. They provide a wide range of services including help and advice on housing, benefits, health and pregnancy and they run a baby clothes swap shop.
Free learning and childcare – Working parents of 3 or 4 year olds may be able to get an extra 15 hours of free childcare during school term time if they meet certain criteria.
Christians Against Poverty- A charity providing support and information for financial worries. They partner with local churches but help anyone, regardless of religion or beliefs. As part of their offering, they run a free course to teach budgeting skills and a simple system to successfully manage money. The courses are taught in person and there are courses running in the Huddersfield area.
Citizens Advice - Citizens Advice provides information to help you make the right choices, including help to deal with your debt problems, how to avoid losing your home and how to get your finances back into shape. You can also quickly check that you are not paying more council tax than you should be. There are reductions available for people on low incomes, and if you’re the only adult in your house then your bill can reduce by 25%.
Gov.co.uk - The government have set up a campaign called Help for Households and here you can find out what support is available to help with the cost of living and how to save money with energy saving tips. You can also find out what benefits and allowances you may be entitled to.
Marie Curie - If you're living with a terminal illness, you could be eligible for some of the financial support available for energy bills. You could also get help with your energy bills if you're caring for someone with a terminal illness.
Money Saving Expert - Martin Lewis has lots of information on how to save money and reduce costs, and has created a Cost of Living Survival Guide to help people through this situation.
National Debtline - National Debtline have created a Cost of Living Hub which can be used to find out if you can pay less for your costs of living and find out about any extra help that might be available.
The Money Charity - The money charity have provided the following resources for University staff:
Turn2Us - A national charity providing practical help to people who are struggling financially. Their website includes information on how to find out if you could be entitled to a grant to help with energy and water bills.
Which? - Which have a free My Money Health Check tool which asks you 7 simple questions and then brings together the latest guidance most relevant to you.
The Staff Wellbeing Confidential Support service is the university's external provider of wellbeing support. They offer FREE, completely confidential support to ANY staff member on a wide range of wellbeing issues including financial concerns. You can also access practical wellbeing signposting and support, and confidential telephone counsellingfrom qualified and caring professionals, by calling the helpline directly on 03303 800658.
Breathing Space is a government scheme which could help relieve some of the pressure and stress caused by being in debt.
Step Change is a charity with a team of debt experts that provide practical advice and support you to achieve long-term financial control. You can get advice online or over the phone at a time that suits you, and after they have looked at your budget, they will recommend a range of practical debt solutions based on your situation.
The Debt Advice Foundation is a registered national debt advice and education charity offering free, confidential support and advice to anyone worried about loans, credit and debt.
Auntie Pam’s – This organisation provides support for local women and families. They provide a wide range of services including help and advice on housing, benefits, health and pregnancy and they run a baby clothes swap shop.
Free learning and childcare – Working parents of 3 or 4 year olds may be able to get an extra 15 hours of free childcare during school term time if they meet certain criteria.
Free School Meals in Kirklees – If you receive certain benefits, your child could get free school meals. You can find out more and apply online.
Working Families – The UK’s national charity for working parents and carers have a cost-of-living support page which provides information on checking benefits entitlements, help with energy bills and other cost of living support schemes.
Mental Health Foundation – The Mental Health Foundation have a page dedicated to cost-of-living including information on ways to look after your mental health during the cost-of-living crisis and where to get support.
Mental Health and Money Advice – offer information and resources to support your mental health if it is being impacted by financial worries.
MIND - offer information and resources on organising your finances, claiming benefits, dealing with services and getting support.
Staff Wellbeing Confidential Support- You can access practical wellbeing signposting and support, and also confidential telephone counselling from qualified and caring professionals, by calling the helpline directly on 03303 800658. The helpline is open 24/7 and completely confidential.
Samaritans - If you need a safe space to talk, you can call Samaritans free anytime on 116 123.
