Our Wider Benefits Package:

• Pensions: Our employees are able to access two robust pension schemes - the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)and the Teacher Pension Scheme (TPS).
• These options ensure that our staff can make informed decisions and provision for their financial future and whilst we cannot offer financial advice, there are a number of places to get individual financial support.

 

**w/c 11 September is coincidentally pension awareness week where there are a number of sessions and further information – details of which are in the Colleague Cascade  reminders from our Payroll team here at BWT.**

 

We are unable to provide/be seen to provide financial advice, but below are some key website links that may be helpful:

 

• • https://www.teacherspensins.co.uk
  • https://pensins.westnorthants.gov.uk/
  • https://lgssmember.pensiondetails.co.uk/
  • https://www.unbiased.c.uk/
  • http://www.mneyhelper.org.uk/

We, as an employer contribute a percentage of your salary:

	01/03/22-31/03/23	01/03/23-31/03/24	01/03/24 - 31/03/25
Teachers’ Pension	23.68%	23.68%	23.68%
LGPS NNC	18.2%	17.2%	16.2%
LGPS CCC	23.3%	22.3%	21.30%

 

Did you know you are able to reduce your contributions for a period of time whilst remaining in the pension scheme?

 

• Death in Service: In the unfortunate event of an employee's passing, the pension schemes also provide a safety net for loved ones, offering peace of mind in uncertain times.
• Food Provision: With food prices having increased by at least 19% in the last year, we understand the significance of this for our employees' weekly shopping bill.  We provide a free breakfast item and hot or cold lunch provision, as well as drinks throughout the day, for every employee, a real and practical day-to-day benefit – worth at least £800 a year.
• Recognition and Reward Scheme with Unions: We actively collaborate with our recognised unions to develop recognition and reward schemes such as long service (from 2023) that acknowledge the hard work and dedication of our staff, ensuring all our employees continue to know they are valued and appreciated. A new reward platform is due for roll out this year which provides access to discounts for colleagues on weekly shopping and commonly bought goods and services.
• Cycle to Work Scheme: Promoting healthy and sustainable commuting, our Cycle to Work Scheme allows employees to save money on commuting costs while staying active and receiving a small reduction in national insurance contributions as a salary sacrifice scheme.

Discounts:

We recognise that educators often face unique challenges and expenses. To alleviate some of the financial burdens, we've compiled a list of platforms offering discounts specifically tailored to those working in the education sector:

• Discounts for Teachers (https://www.discountsforteachers.co.uk/) for a wide range of discounts tailored to educators.
• Teacher Perks (https://www.teacherperks.co.uk/) for additional discounts and offers designed to ease the financial strain on teachers.
• Unidays (https://www.myunidays.com/GB/en-GB) there is a common misconception that Unidays is just for students, but teachers and other school staff qualify for certain discounts too, like Apple Education discount.

 

Mortgage Support:

Financial concerns, particularly regarding mortgage payments, can be a significant source of significant worry. We recommend exploring the following resources for advice and support:

• • Money Saving Expert (https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/mortgages/struggling-to-pay-your-mortgage/) provides guidance and resources for individuals facing difficulties in paying their mortgages, offering practical advice to alleviate financial stress related to mortgage payments.
  • Fixed rate mortgages (https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/mortgages/fixed-discount-mortgage-guide/#:~:text=But%20if%20you%20need%20the,fixing%2C%20and%20fixing%20for%20longer.) offer the advantage of stable, predictable monthly payments, providing borrowers with financial certainty and making budgeting easier.

 

Energy Assistance:

As the energy crisis affects household budgets, finding ways to manage energy costs is crucial. We've compiled a list of organisations and programmes that offer energy-related support:

• • Northants Warm Homes (https://www.northantswarmhomes.com/) provides energy-saving solutions to residents in Northamptonshire on to to keep your home warm.
  • Energy Advice in Fenland (https://www.pect.org.uk/energy-advice/) offers free, valuable advice and support for energy-related issues.
  • LEAP (Local Energy Advice Partnership)](https://applyforleap.org.uk/energy-support/) provides practical support and energy-saving measures to lower energy costs.
  • Energy Saving Trust (https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/) offers expert guidance on energy efficiency, helping people make informed decisions to reduce their energy consumption.
  • SCOPE (https://www.scope.org.uk/disability-energy-support/) provides free energy and water advice to disabled individuals, ensuring everyone in our community has access to essential resources.

 

As an employer with wellbeing at the heart of what we do, we are committed to providing our employees with the resources needed to thrive both personally and professionally.

We continually seek opportunities to enhance our support and advice offerings and in these challenging times, we stand together, resolute in supporting our colleagues in every way we are able.

If you have any suggestions on how we can enhance our offer, or would like to share your feedback, please contact the team at enquries@brookewestontrust.org