Cost of living support for our staff

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LYPFT Financial Support Fund

The Trust is pleased to share information about the LYPFT Financial Support Fund which is a dedicated fund designed to support staff who may be struggling financially – for example because they are experiencing a significant decrease in household income or are encountering an unexpected expense.

Making an application

• To make an application for financial support please download and complete the latest version of the application form (v3).Please provide as much information as possible and email to our dedicated and confidential inbox: supportfund.lypft@nhs.netPeople can also submit supporting information along with their application form if they wish. This isn’t essential but can be reviewed by the panel if relevant to the application.
• Completed applications then go to an LYPFT panel for review which is meeting weekly.
• To have an application approved, staff must demonstrate that they reach several criteria through their application process. Please provide as much detail as possible to help the panel with their decision.

Please note: panel members and administrative support staff will remain anonymous throughout the process.

For more information and eligibility criteria, please visit our Financial Wellbeing page on Staffnet or search ‘Financial Support Fund’.

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Food for colleagues: On site provision

The Executive Management Team has supported a recommendation from the Cost of Living Task and Finish Group for the provision of food to support colleagues when onsite.

Due to ongoing pressures and staffing challenges, we know that many colleagues onsite and in community teams often experience difficulty getting time to buy a meal whilst on shift.  We also know that the current cost of living is providing a challenge for all colleagues and we want to contribute in easing the burden.

To support you during this time, we are pleased to confirm regular deliveries of a variety of ambient food to all sites for our colleagues to enjoy while at work.

Ambient food will be available at all sites, including where there are hot desk facilities for those working between Trust sites and home.

Deliveries will take place via Logistics on the same day as PPE deliveries (normally this will be Tuesdays or Fridays). This provision will continue until for another six months, at which point we will review the need (to review around September 2023).

If you have any questions or feedback, please contact your team manager in the first instance. Team managers are asked to feedback any issues to their Operational Manager.

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Money Buddies – a local financial support offer

The Money Buddies scheme can help you save money, increase your income and advise you at times of financial hardship. Whether you’re having difficulty paying a debt, need legal debt advice, or if you’re not sure what to do about your finances, they can help you.

You don’t need to have a financial crisis to get help – they can save you money on things like gas, electricity, water bills and much more.

Money Buddies don’t charge, don’t judge and don’t tell anyone. Their local knowledge and people means they understand the difficulties their clients face. They have a wide range of legal debt advice and financial capability solutions that could ease or remove money-related difficulties.

Money Buddies is facilitated through Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust on behalf of Burmantofts Community Projects, a registered charity based in the heart of one of the most deprived areas of Leeds.

You can attend sessions face-to-face, virtually or by phone. Appointments can be made via this Google form.

For further information email leedsth-tr.HealthandWellbeing@nhs.net.

Financial assistance from your union 

If you’re a member of a union, you may be eligible to apply for financial assistance from them. At LYPFT our two most popular unions are UNISON and the Royal College of Nursing.

Members of UNISON may be able to access financial support via the “There for You” scheme. It can help with things like general living costs, household appliances, urgent repairs, disability equipment and adaptations, utility bills and funeral costs. Find out more on their website.

Current and former members of the RCN may be eligible for a grant from their Foundation Benevolent Service. These grants are offered once per calendar year and you won’t be asked to pay it back. Find out more on their website.

Other unions that offer similar hardship schemes include:

Unite the Union’s Benevolent Fund

The British Medical Association’s (BMA) Charities’ financial support grants

Making your money count booklet

The West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership’s Staff Mental Health and Wellbeing Hub has brought together a range of resources on their website that will help people, including a new Making your money count booklet.

Cost of Living One Stop Shop for Leeds residents

Our partners across Leeds have created a website that pulls together the city’s cost of living related information and support offers into one place. This includes finance, community hubs, heating, water, jobs, housing, health and food. Visit www.leeds.gov.uk/campaign/cost-of-living.

The MoneyHelper Service

The NHS works with the MoneyHelper Service, an organisation that work to improve people’s financial wellbeing across the UK, to provide you with free, independent support.

They offer the following:

An NHS telephone support line on 0800 448 0826. NHS people can call this support line, provided by the MoneyHelper Service, for free and impartial money guidance. Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.

WhatsApp chat. Add +44 7701 342 744 to your WhatsApp and send the MoneyHelper Service’s national support team a message for help with sorting out your debts, credit questions and pensions guidance.

Budget Planner – their handy budget planner gives you a place to record all your spending, a breakdown of your finances by category, and personalised tips when you’re all finished.

Find out more about the most relevant tools and resources available for NHS people from the MoneyHelper Service on the NHS England website here.

Health Assured – Employee Assistance Programme

Did you know that the Trust’s Employee Assistance Programme, Health Assured, can offer financial, debt and legal advice and guidance as well as support for your physical and mental health?

There are different ways to access assistance from Health Assured:

Via the management referral form on Staffnet.

Call the 24-hour confidential telephone counselling service on 0800 030 5182. You can speak to a qualified and experienced counsellor who will offer support in a professional, friendly and non-judgemental manner.

Search for Health Assured on Staffnet or visit http://staffnet2/employees/HealthandWellbeing/Pages/Health-Assured.aspx

Salary Finance (loans and money insights)

Salary Finance is an employee benefit that could help you worry less about money by making it simple. Salary Finance offers:

• Money insights: a range of tips and videos as well as tools for budgeting and saving to help make money simple.
• Loans repaid through salary: Loans at affordable rates with higher acceptance than banks. A lower-rate loan could help you save money by paying off more expensive debt or allow you to pay less interest if you need to borrow money for a car, home improvement or unexpected expense. Representative Rate 9.9% APR (fixed).

Find out more on the LYPFT section of the Salary Finance website at https://home.salaryfinance.com/lytrust.

Claiming tax relief on job related costs

You might be able to claim tax relief from the government if:

• you use your own money for things that you must buy for your job – for example, professional registration fees and subscriptions,
• you only use these things for your work.

You cannot claim tax relief if your employer either gives you:

• all the money back, or
• an alternative, for example your employer gives you a laptop but you want a different type or model.

Visit www.gov.uk/tax-relief-for-employees to find out if you’re able to claim some money back for these expenses.

Money Saving Expert – cut bills and save money!

MoneySavingExpert.com is the UK’s biggest consumer website, with more than 16 million users a month. The site’s dedicated to cutting your bills and fighting your corner with journalistic research, cutting-edge tools and a massive community – all focused on finding deals, saving cash and campaigning for financial justice.

Founded by celebrity money saver Martin Lewis in 2003, it has grown into the UK’s most popular money website, one of the top 25 most popular of all digital services among Brits, and the UK brand most recommended by consumers, according to YouGov.

They have created a special Cost of Living help site with a huge range of ideas and life hacks that will save you money at www.moneysavingexpert.com/budgeting-debt-help.

Domestic energy prices in the UK continue to rise. NHS England have produced a new resource to provide all NHS staff with information, advice and tips on how to manage your energy bill, where to get support, how to make your home more energy efficient and how to make small changes to your habits that can go a long way.

Energy bills and energy efficiency awareness campaign Autumn 2022 V4

This information is provided in good faith, and you are encouraged to check the information provided directly with your energy supplier or online for accuracy.

Heat the human, not the home

Martin Lewis’s Money Saving Expert website has some top tips on staying warm while saving energy – Heat the human not the home and energy-saving ideas.

Support for carers

1 in 5 of the NHS workforce is currently balancing working and caring responsibilities, and we want to ensure that working carers feel more supported, valued and listened to.

A carer is someone of any age who looks after a family member, partner or friend who otherwise couldn’t manage without their help because of illness, frailty, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction. The care that carers give is unpaid.

Find out more about our support for carers on our Staffnet page here.

Carers Leeds operates a Single Point of Access for all carers in Leeds needing information, advice and support on things like:

• Finance and benefits
• Access to services, respite, holidays
• Assessments and personal budgets for the carer or cared for person
• Equipment and support for the cared for person

Contact the Carers Leeds Advice Line on 0113 380 4300 (Mon – Fri 9am-4:30pm), email them at advice@carersleeds.org.uk or visit www.carersleeds.org.uk.

Financial support for staff with children  

The government website has a new section called Get childcare: step by step. Here you will find information on:

• How to find childcare
• How to get help paying for childcare
• What to do if your circumstances change
• What to do when your child reaches school age

There is also a more detailed section on their website called Financial help if you have children. There’s loads more information on things like financial help when having a baby, child benefit, tax credits if you have children, financial help if you have a disabled child and tons more. This range of support replaces the Childcare Vouchers scheme which closed to new applicants in October 2018.

Get a brand-new lease car and save money  

CPC Drive is a car benefit scheme available to LYPFT employees. The scheme enables you to save money and drive a brand new, fully maintained and insured vehicle, including electrics and hybrids, for up to four years. You can benefit from income tax and National Insurance savings (although it will reduce your pension contributions).

The monthly amount is deducted direct from your wage and set for the contract term. At the end of the agreement, you can simply return the car, take out another car or buy the car outright.

What’s included:

• All routine servicing, MOT and fair wear and tear maintenance
• Fully comprehensive motor insurance
• Replacement tyres
• Annual Road Fund Licence
• Full RAC Breakdown and Recovery assistance
• Provision for certain lifestyle events (resignation, redundancy and maternity leave)

NEW: additional Trust support for switching to electric

To make the switch to electric even easier, the Trust will now be making an additional contribution towards the cost of getting a brand-new electric car on the CPC Drive Salary Sacrifice scheme.

The Trust contribution amount will appear in the ‘quote breakdown’ section of your quote.

By taking an electric car on the scheme you will be doing your bit to help reduce your carbon footprint and help make the air cleaner for everyone.

Check out the CPC Drive page on Staffnet

Drop them a line at CPCdrive.lypft@nhs.net.

Tax free bikes and accessories – save money, improve fitness and reduce carbon footprint!

Cycling to work not only encourages physical activity but it also helps you to save money whilst reducing your carbon footprint. As a Trust employee you can enjoy tax free bikes and cycling accessories for your commute with our Cycle to Work scheme.

This scheme is provided in partnership with Evans Cycles and Vivup who have the most extensive range of bikes and accessories from leading cycling brands for you to choose from. You can also get savings of up to 37% on the latest bikes and accessories for your commute to work, jump the traffic queues and get fit and healthy.

The Trust also supports our cycling colleagues with cycle repair kits including a pump, tools and spares which are available at most site receptions – for when you need to do an emergency repair to get you home or to your next appointment. Find out more on Staffnet.

12% discount on West Yorkshire bus and rail travel

The Corporate Annual MCard is available to all LYPFT staff as we are part of the West Yorkshire Travel Plan network.

It offers a 12% discount on full price Annual MCard rates and it’s perfect for commuters who want to get the very best value ticket when using buses or trains run by different companies in West Yorkshire.

Find out more on Staffnet.

First Bus Commuter Travel Club

We’ve teamed up with First Bus so you can get a discount on your bus travel. Buying your bus ticket through this scheme will give you unlimited travel in the area and you can use it for getting to work and at weekends.

You will need to sign up online to a monthly payment taken by Direct Debit.

Benefits include:

• Discounted monthly bus ticket
• Automatic mobile ticket renewal
• Unlimited bus travel for work or leisure
• Price frozen for 12 months
• Tickets sent straight to your mobile
• Never worry about renewing your bus ticket again
• If you lose your phone we can transfer your ticket to a new one

To join the Commuter Travel Club and purchase your ticket all you need to do now is:                        

• Download the First Bus App and sign into/create an mTickets account
• Visit their webpage, log in or register to the First Bus website –
  Leeds = https://www.firstbus.co.uk/leeds/ctc
  York = https://www.firstbus.co.uk/york/ctc

• Select your company from the from the employer drop-down menu
• The form will prompt you to enter your work email address to validate access to the scheme
• We’ll then send you a link via email – just click this to complete the online registration and purchase your discounted ticket.
• Tickets are then sent and stored on your mobile phone

Happy travelling!

NHS England has collated a list of the many discounts and benefits offered to NHS colleagues from a wide range of companies – from discounted taxi rides, discounted meal delivery, data deals and activities for children and families.

This list includes all of the offers they’ve been able to confirm and verify across supermarkets, food, transport and other miscellaneous items. Check out the list on their website at:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/supporting-our-nhs-people/support-now/financial-support/supporting-our-staff-to-help-money-go-further/ 

Blue Light Card

The Blue Light Card provides those in the NHS, emergency services, social care sector and armed forces with discounts online and in-store. You’ll be able to access a range of official discounts from large national retailers to local businesses on things like holidays, cars, days out, fashion, gifts, insurance, phones and much more! Visit www.bluelightcard.co.uk

Health Service Discounts

Health Service Discounts offers a huge range of NHS and healthcare discounts, money-saving deals and vouchers, including travel and holiday deals, top fashion discounts, money off electricals and homeware, through to deals on mobile phones, utilities, and an exclusive cashback card. Visit their website at https://healthservicediscounts.com

staffbenefits.co.uk

staffbenefits.co.uk offer exclusive discounts to all NHS employees from companies such as Apple, Virgin Experience Days, Go Ape, Hilton Hotels, Lazy Day Cruises plus hundreds of other local and national companies who change their offers daily. It only takes a few minutes to register or re-register.

Simply visit the link below then click ‘Sign Up Now For Discounts’ which should appear to the right of the page and follow the instructions to start saving money!  https://staffbenefits.co.uk/login/leedsandyorkpft

NHS discount offers

www.nhsdiscountoffers.co.uk is a UK based website offering discounts and deals to staff that work for the NHS. They work with some big brands including AO, EE Mobile, Under Armour, Pizza Hut and more.

Tickets for Good

Tickets for Good have partnered with the NHS to give away free and discounted tickets for some of the UK’s most exciting events to all NHS workers. It’s free for NHS staff to sign up and browse the events, the only charge is a £3.50 booking fee for any tickets you book, payable by you at the time of booking.

NHS Staff can sign up through this link – ticketsforgood.org/nhs – you will be asked to enter your NHS email as a way of verifying you as an NHS employee or you can provide an image of your NHS staff ID card. Once you have been verified you will receive a confirmation email and will be able to login and use the nhs.ticketsforgood.co.uk platform.

The Company Shop (in Barnsley and Bradford)

The Company Shop is a social enterprise where NHS employees can purchase surplus products from well-known brands at amazing prices, helping stretched budgets go further.

All NHS staff can sign up as members and the shops in our patch are in Bradford and Barnsley. Find out more at www.companyshopgroup.co.uk

The Bread and Butter Thing – surplus food scheme in Kirklees

The Bread and Butter Thing (TBBT) is one of the UK’s leading community food organisations and is now available in Kirklees.

For just £7.50 TBBT members’ shopping bags are filled with a minimum of £35 worth of items made up of quality nutritious surplus food which often ends up as waste. You can sign up for free and use NHS Healthy Start vouchers. Find out more www.breadandbutterthing.org