Cycle2work scheme

The scheme window reopens in October 2024 

Save money on a new bike!

Through this scheme, you can gain access to a brand new bike and accessories by making monthly payments straight from your salary. You will not pay tax or national insurance on these payments, saving you up to 47% on the cost of a bike and accessories.

You can spend as little as £100 on a new bike and accessories, and up to £2000.

Please read the FAQs below prior to applying.

If you have any further questions regarding the scheme, please email nuhnt.cycle2work@nhs.net.

How do I apply?

After you have read all of the FAQ's below, choose between the 9 or 12-month scheme, then follow the sign-up link below and enter your relevant employer code to begin your application.

Begin your application here.

Employer Codes:

• 12-month scheme code: NUH12C2W
• 9-month scheme code: NUH9C2W24

If you experience any issues or have a question, please email nuhnt.cycle2work@nhs.net or call Ext. 84771. We are always happy to help a member of staff cycle to work.

How the scheme works

By applying to the scheme you are entering legal hire agreement with Halfords. Please read their privacy statement.

Once you have been accepted onto the scheme you have 14 days from the date of receiving your letter of collection to cancel. After this period cancellation is not possible except in exceptional circumstances.

If you are struggling to get a bike that you would like please contact the Halfords special order helpline at: cycle2work@halfords.co.uk. You will be liable for the payments whether or not you have redeemed the Letter of Collection (LoC).

Cycle2Work is an employee benefit which offers a cost-effective way to get new cycling equipment. The scheme is run via a salary sacrifice meaning you won’t pay tax or national insurance – this saves you between 32% and 42% on your new bike and accessories. This reduced cost is simply deducted out of your payslip over a fixed amount of time specified in your hire agreement.

What happens at the end of the hire period?

Halfords will contact you at the end of your hire agreement to explain the process. 

Please refer to your hire agreement for full details.

Which accessories should I get?

Locks

Get a good quality "D lock" and consider getting an additional cable lock if you've got quick release components. Bike thieves with cable cutters cut poor quality cable locks in a few seconds or less. A cheap lock is a false economy.

Insurance

It’s recommended that you insure the bike - if it is stolen, you’ll still have to complete your payments.

Storage

You could consider getting a basket or a rack and some pannier bags. You can fit lots into panniers and it can be easier than riding with a rucksack.

Clothing

You don’t necessarily need special clothing to ride a bike, but you might want to invest in a waterproof jacket and trousers for those occasions when you cycle in a shower. You might choose a helmet. For journeys in the dark you need lights.

Remember, you can get bike accessories as part of your application, so work out the total value before applying.

Examples of savings

Definitions of terms in the table below:

LOC Value: Letter of Collection value - this is the voucher which you'll receive at the end of the application process, which you take in store and swap for your bike and accessories.

Gross monthly deduction: what you see listed on your payslip.

Net monthly deduction: what you actually lose from your pocket - you don't pay income tax & National Insurance on the deduction.

The above figures are approximate numbers and are based on a standard rate tax payer (20%). Higher rate tax payers will save even more.

The scheme also includes a free bike care plan (over £100 of servicing/repair benefits)

Step by step guide to applying

For more details and/or register here, the employer code for the 12 month scheme is NUH12C2W, the code for the 9 month scheme is NUH9C2W.

If you have any questions please call the Halfords Cycle2work helpline on 0345 504 6444, or contact nuhnt.cycle2work@nhs.net or phone extension 84771.

Can I join the scheme?

You must be on the main salaries payroll of Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and have a contract that has at least 12 months to run. Staff on zero-hour contracts, locum or agency work or fixed term/temporary contracts of less than 12 months will not be accepted on the scheme.

Alternatives are available - please contact nuhnt.cycle2work@nhs.net for more details.

Junior doctors who are on a training post at NUH and will not be rotating for 12 months or more may be accepted for the scheme. If you will be rotating to another placement in less than 12 months, your application will not be accepted.

Alternatives are available - please contact nuhnt.cycle2work@nhs.net for details.

What type of bike should I get?

There are various types of bikes available - hybrid, road, tourer, sit-up-and-beg and more. Choose one which suits your needs.

Advice on different types of bikes. 

We recommend that you should spend no less than around £250 on a bike, and more if you can afford it. Generally, the higher the price, the better the quality of the bike - a better quality bike will be easier to ride, more reliable and will last for longer. 

If you see a bike on sale in Halfords, you can place a £10 deposit in store. This will guarantee you get this bike at the discounted rate regardless of whether the promotion has ended at the time of collection.

Please ensure you calculate the exact costs of all goods required as amounts cannot be amended following approval. 

How long will it take to process my application?

We ask that you please allow up to 14 for your application to be processed. Once processed Halfords will issue Letters of Collection via email to the email address you applied with.

When do I start to make payments?

Payments will start to be taken from your salary 1-2 months after your Letter of Collection is issued. Please note that payments will begin regardless of when you redeem your Letter of Collection. 

Can I withdraw/get a refund once I have signed up?

By signing up to the scheme you are signing a binding financial agreement. Once you have signed the agreement there is no scope for withdrawal or refund outside of the stated terms. 

Will this affect my pension?

The fact that your contractual pay is being reduced means that your level of pension contribution will be reduced. With regard to the NHS Pension scheme, there will be no impact unless the salary sacrifice runs into the period used to calculate your pension entitlement. Currently, for the majority of NHS staff it is income earned in the last year of service that determines ongoing pension payments after retirement. If this is the case any salary sacrifice in the last year of service will have the effect of lowering income and will have an adverse effect on the ongoing pension entitlement.

What is Salary Sacrifice?

This is an arrangement where an amount of gross (pre-tax) pay is surrendered in exchange for a non-cash benefit.  It shows as a reduction to your gross pay on your payslip.

By using this arrangement, you will save Income Tax, National Insurance contributions and NHS Pension contributions on the pay that is sacrificed, thereby reducing the overall cost of the benefit.

Salary sacrifice cannot be undertaken if it reduces an employee’s hourly rate below the National Minimum Wage. Pay Services will inform you if this applies to you and you will not be able to participate in the salary sacrifice.

Participation in any salary sacrifice constitutes an amendment to your Terms and Conditions of Employment.  This is an employment law requirement and it is necessary for you to confirm that you understand and agree to the changes to your gross salary.  You will therefore be required to sign a document to this effect.

All the Trust’s salary sacrifice schemes have their own terms and conditions which you must familiarise yourself with before signing up.

What is the effect on NHS Retirement Benefits?

1995 Section - Benefits from the 1995 Section are calculated on the best of the last three years’ Pensionable Pay. Therefore the reduction in pensionable income is only likely to affect you if you are still participating in a salary sacrifice scheme during the last three years of your NHS employment.

2008 Section - Benefits from the 2008 Section are calculated on the Pensionable Pay received in the average of the best three consecutive years out of the final ten. Therefore the reduction in pensionable income will affect you if you participate in a salary sacrifice during the period used to calculate benefits.

2015 Scheme - The 2015 Scheme is a CARE (Career Average Revalued Earnings) scheme, which means that the pension is built up by adding 1/54th of each year’s Pensionable Pay to your pension account. Each year of pensionable pay counts separately towards the build-up of final pension benefits. Therefore entering into any salary sacrifice arrangement will reduce the amount of pension built up in that year by 1/54th of the amount of salary sacrificed, revalued at the rate of inflation plus 1.5%.

Will this affect my car parking permit?

No. There is no link between Cycle2work applications and NUH car parking permits.

What happens if I leave NUH before the end of the hire period?

Any outstanding deductions will be taken from your final salary payment. The bike will remain the property of NUH until the end of the hire period. You will be contacted at the end of the hire period with details of the options for returning or taking ownership of the bike.

Where is my nearest Halfords store?

Halfords is a nationwide cycle retailer with 460+ stores across the UK. 97% of the population lives within 30 minutes of a Halfords store. Open when other retailers are closed, every day of the year except for Christmas Day.

Monday - Friday 9am-8pm, Saturday 9am-6pm, Sunday 10am-5pm.

Find your nearest store.

Click here for the Cycle2work Scheme website. 

What if I want a bike which is not available through the regular Halfords selection?

NUH's Cycle2work scheme provides the widest possible range of bikes at unbeatable value for money since employees are not limited to the Halfords range alone.

A number of options are available. Visit a Halfords store or browse online, but if you fail to see anything that interests you, you can ring the 'special order helpdesk' on 0345 504 6444 and Halfords can help you to source any bike outside the Halfords range through their links with partner independent bike shops. 

You do have to go through Halfords, but they can order just about any brand for you through a network of independent bike shops which they have agreements with. If you speak to their helpline (08450 778850) and tell them the bike you want, they will order it from one their partner independent bike shops.  Or you can visit one of the partner shops and chat to staff there.


As with the standard applications, these "Special Orders" have a limit of £2000.