General Category > On The Road

Cycle to Work Scheme

(1/3) > >>

ranran:
Good evening , I work for Network rail and we currently have the cycle scheme with Cycle Solutions as the supplier.
The limit has been £1000 since I purchased my first proper road bike in 2010.
I am trying to get information on what other employers use as a provider and the limits .
I understand that some have no limit and others allow you to top up your voucher.
Anyone have experience with the more generous limits with their employer ?
£1000 now certainly doesnt get you anything like the quality of frame and components that it did in 2010.
thanks for anyone taking time to reply

Jurek:

--- Quote from: ranran on 25 January, 2022, 05:39:18 pm ---Good evening , I work for Network rail and we currently have the cycle scheme with Cycle Solutions as the supplier.
The limit has been £1000 since I purchased my first proper road bike in 2010.
I am trying to get information on what other employers use as a provider and the limits .
I understand that some have no limit and others allow you to top up your voucher.
Anyone have experience with the more generous limits with their employer ?
£1000 now certainly doesnt get you anything like the quality of frame and components that it did in 2010.
thanks for anyone taking time to reply

--- End quote ---
My experience is that it depends on the relationship you have with the dealer supplying the bike.
In my case they were happy to add an additional half of what the limit was, for components I wanted fitted, without any evidence of this on the official paperwork.
ETA - Although, for warranty purposes, I had paperwork covering the full cost of the bike plus the additional components.
ETFA - I should add that this was with an LBC, as opposed to any sort of chain outfit, with policys etc. I'm sure that factor helped.

ranran:
we have had several different scheme providers including Halfords and Evans who were both flexible in that way according to people I have communicated with at work .Cycle Solutions flatly refused when I asked them myself .
We are looking to put some pressure on the powers that be to change their policy for the next scheme ,
thanks for your input. :thumbsup:

wajcgac:
Cycle Solutions like other cycle to work scheme providers are now able to increase the limit of £1000 to what ever the employer wants - even in theory unlimited (but this depends on your salary obviously, and there are rules about the minimum that salary sacrifice schemes leave you each month as well). This is because the scheme changed in 2019.

Cycle Solutions Cycle to Work Scheme

My company still had the £1000 limit last year via Cyclescheme.co.uk.

Although I don't need a bike at the moment I wrote an email to our HR dept explaining that the scheme had changed and the reasons for it.

Bikes more expensive, effect of inflation over the 20yrs the £1000 limit had been in place etc
Electric Bikes - ideal for commuting but can be a lot more than £1000
A £1000 limit is potentially discriminatory to anyone requiring a specially adapted bike.

I also pointed out that there are savings for the employer as well as they don't pay NI on the amount in the Salary Sacrifice scheme - so more expensive bikes for the employee generate greater NI savings for the employer.

It took a couple of months but they now have increased it to £3500 - all they have to do is contact the scheme provider and let them know the limit they want to have, I did suggest it should be unlimited but it's still a big increase on what it was.

I'd suggest trying this approach and see how you get on - I work for a reasonably large company but no where near the size of Network Rail so no idea how responsive your HR dept might be.

It may well be the case that your employer hasn't look at the scheme for years and is not aware of the changes and just needs a prompt.

ranran:
thanks for that , very interesting . one of the problems we are also having is actually contacting the person who actually makes the descisions regarding the scheme , Its a very big company and im afraid it doesnt know its arse from its elbow a lot of the time . Maybe an e-mail right to the top might be be worth a go .

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page