Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Am I eligible to participate?
If you work full or part time on either a permanent or fixed term basis and will be employed at NTU for a minimum of 12 months from the benefit start date, you are eligible to apply for all benefits.
If you are not in receipt of regular monthly pay or will be employed at NTU for less than 12 months you are eligible to receive some benefits, but restrictions apply so please contact the My Benefits team for clarification.
How do I select a benefit?
You can apply for, amend and cancel your benefit selections by using our online forms, found on each benefit’s page. You can select most benefits at any time, however, some benefits can only be selected annually during September or within two months of starting employment at NTU.
Visit the selecting benefits page for more details.
How do I pay for benefits?
Benefits are paid for either via salary sacrifice or via deductions from your net pay, the online information for each individual benefit will confirm its payment method.
What are Net pay deductions?
Net pay deductions are monthly payments deducted from your pay after tax, National Insurance and other statutory deductions have been paid.
What is Salary sacrifice?
Salary sacrifice means that you agree to give up part of your salary (before tax) in exchange for a non-cash benefit, like those above. When you reduce your gross or pre-tax salary in exchange for a benefit, you pay less income tax and National Insurance (NI) contributions.
It's important to note that not all colleagues will be eligible for salary sacrifice - deductions must not take your salary below the National Minimum Wage (NMW). When this happens, we will look at alternative options where this is possible.
Which benefits operate as salary sacrifice?
The Holiday Buy scheme and Cycle to Work are both salary sacrifice benefits.
The childcare voucher scheme is closed to new members but is a salary sacrifice benefit for those who are already part of the scheme
If you opt into the Retirement Savings Plan your contributions will either be made via salary sacrifice or non-salary sacrifice, depending on eligibility.
Holiday buy
We include information on the MyBenefits site explaining the eligibility criteria for colleagues on salary scale points close to the National Minimum Wage (NMW). The Holiday Buy Scheme FAQs also have a section (section 2) which sets out the NMW criteria and what will happen should continuing with the deductions take you below the NMW.
In this case we will contact you in advance with your options. This may include cancelling future leave or, in discussion with your line manager arranging to take unpaid leave.
Cycle 2 Work
This benefit is provided by a company called Cyclescheme. We include FAQs about the scheme on the MyBenefits site and there is information on the Cyclescheme site for colleagues who earn the NMW or are close to it. Alternative options for colleagues who are affected by the NMW are available, including a bike hire plan.
If you have any questions, email cycle@ntu.ac.uk.
Retirement Savings Plan
If you cannot join the Plan on a salary-sacrifice basis due to contributions taking you below the National Minimum Wage or the Lower Earnings Limit, you can still join the plan on a non-salary-sacrifice basis. In this circumstance, your contributions will be taken from your net pay, after tax and NI deductions.
You can find further information in the guidance available on the Retirement Savings Plan site.
Childcare vouchers
The Childcare vouchers benefit scheme is no longer open to new applicants, however, for those who are already part of the scheme, you can amend or cancel this benefit.
Receiving a salary sacrifice benefit means that your pay is reduced, which could impact upon the amount of any means tested benefits you receive.
Your entitlement to WTC and CTC is dependent upon many factors. The gov.uk website has a helpful calculator, so you can check what help you could get with childcare costs.
Impact of Salary Sacrifice
Before applying for salary sacrifice benefits, you should consider the impact of salary sacrifice arrangements on any benefits, pension, and life assurance cover. Independent financial advisors can provide you with advice on how these types of schemes could affect you.
Who do I contact with questions about applying for, amending or cancelling a benefit?
If you have questions prior to applying for a benefit you should refer to the documents on the My Benefits website. If you are unable to find the answer to your question, please contact the My Benefits team.
If you have questions about a benefit scheme you are currently a member of and are unable to locate the answer in the information on the website, you should contact the benefit provider directly. You will be able to find contact details for all benefit providers within the information on each benefit page.
Who do I contact with questions about what is covered by my benefit?
If you have questions prior to applying for a benefit you should refer to the documents on the My Benefits website. If you are unable to find the answer to your question, please contact the My Benefits team.
If you have questions about a benefit scheme you are currently a member of and are unable to locate the answer in the information on the website, you should contact the benefit provider directly. You will be able to find the contact details for all benefit providers within the relevant benefit information on the website.
Can I make changes to my benefit?
You can amend and cancel your selection by using our online forms, found on each benefit’s page. You will need your employee reference number, found on your payslips on MyHR (7 digits).
Due to the nature of some benefits, you are only able to amend or cancel cover at the end of the policy year (30 September) or if you experience a life event. Further information can be found within the benefit information where these restrictions apply, together with examples of relevant life events. Please note a cancellation fee may apply in instances where a travel season ticket is amended or cancelled.
The cut-off date for requests is the 1st of each month. Due to provider processing times, a clear calendar month is required between receipt of your request and the effective benefit amendment/cancellation date (e.g. requests received by 1st November will be valid from 1st December with salary amendments commencing from December's pay).
Can family members also sign up for benefits?
Some benefits can be provided to members of your family, but only if you are either already in receipt of the benefit yourself, or are completing a selection form for yourself and family members at the same time.
How do I make a claim on my insurance benefit?
You will need to submit your claim directly to the benefit provider, with the exception of Critical Illness Insurance where we will need to request a claim form from the provider on your behalf.
What happens to my benefit if I am absent from work on a long-term basis?
Should you experience a period of absence resulting in the reduction of your pay we will continue to make benefit payment deductions. In the event that your absence results in a loss of your pay, we will contact you to ask whether you wish to cancel your benefit or make alternative arrangements to continue to pay for, and receive your benefit.