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, 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 will need your employee reference number, found on your payslips on MyHR (7 digits). The website can be accessed externally at www.ntu-mychoice.co.uk.

You can select most benefits at any time, however, Private Medical Insurance, Critical Illness Insurance, Travel Insurance and Dental Insurance can only be selected annually during September or within two months of starting employment at NTU. You must remain in the scheme for 12 months.

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.

Net pay deductions

Your monthly payments are deducted from your pay after tax, National Insurance and other statutory deductions have been paid.

Salary sacrifice

You sacrifice part of your salary in return for receiving your benefit. Your monthly payments are deducted from your pay before tax and National Insurance is deducted, so the amount paid for your benefit is not subject to tax and National Insurance. Your notional pay (amount prior to salary sacrifice) is used for all pay based calculations, such as pension, occupational maternity pay, sick pay, overtime etc. so that you do not lose out.

It will not be possible to process your application if once the salary sacrifice is applied your salary will fall below the National Minimum Wage, and we will contact you in these circumstances. We will also contact you if your reduced pay falls below the threshold for National Insurance credit, as this may impact on future claims for Government provided benefits such as state pension.

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 the contact details for all benefit providers within the relevant benefit information on the website and in this brochure.

Who do I contact with questions about what is covered by my benefit?

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 that provide insurance cover, 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 25th 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 before 25th November will be valid from 1st January with salary amendments commencing from January's pay).

Can family members also apply 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.

Will my pension be affected if I pay for my benefit via salary sacrifice?

Participation in any benefits, including those paid via salary sacrifice, will not affect your pensionable pay.

Does paying for benefits via salary sacrifice affect my Working Tax Credit (WTC) and/or Child Tax Credit (CTC)?

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 HMRC Childcare Indicator can help you to determine whether it is more beneficial to you to receive childcare vouchers via salary sacrifice or tax credits: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/calcs/ccin.htm

Will my salary sacrifice benefit affect my entitlement to maternity pay?

Your occupational maternity pay will continue to be based upon your notional (amount prior to salary sacrifice) pay.

Statutory maternity pay (SMP) is calculated on your ‘average weekly earnings’ during weeks 17 – 25 of your pregnancy. For the purposes of calculating SMP your lower salary (after your salary sacrifice) will be used. By continuing to receive your salary sacrifice benefit throughout your pregnancy your SMP will be reduced during your maternity leave. If you are concerned about the impact on your SMP payments, you may wish to consider cancelling the benefit by week 17 of your pregnancy.

My Benefits Contact Details:

If you have further queries please contact us on 0115 848 2618 or MyBenefits@ntu.ac.uk.