Cycle to Work Advice

Staggerlee46

I have just purchased a Brompton for commuting and am due to collect from my LBS on 4 weeks time.
The bike shops participates in the Cycle to Work scheme.
I have two options when I go to collect my bike. Either pay for the bike myself, or go through the Cycle to Work Scheme and save a considerable amount.
At present, my work doesn't run the scheme.
Two questions:
1) Assuming I can persuade my employer to sign up to the scheme, can all this be set up and in place within the space of 4 weeks, or will this process potentially take months? I probably can't assume the bike shop will keep my bike in storage until I get myself sorted.
2) The Cycle to Work website quotes:
'Employees then apply for a Cyclescheme Voucher by finding out their Cyclescheme Employer Code and entering the information provided by the bike shop online.'
Nowhere on the website can I find a place to sign up online to apply for the Voucher. Any suggestions?

Any help much appreciated.

Gareth

jamesco

Can I pin a couple more questions?

We're a small office of 6-7 people and use an accountant to manage payroll, VAT etc; how much would we be looking at in extra charges (by the accountants) for implementing this scheme? Do we just need to tell the accountant to adjust the pay by x pounds for each person signing-up, or does it involve a lot of accountant-time?

Perhaps 3 or 4 people would be interested in the scheme, so to get it going I'd need to show the boss that it won't end up costing hundreds of pounds in extra accountancy fees, and the accountant does charge like a wounded bull! Any experience would be great, especially in how to do as much of it as possible ourselves.

Cheers,
James

supersonic

The website answers many of the set up questions.

Not sure if you can use a voucher after you have bought it. You could of course refund the bike, then present the voucher.

shouldbeinbed

Staggerlee46 wrote:

I have just purchased a Brompton for commuting and am due to collect from my LBS on 4 weeks time.
The bike shops participates in the Cycle to Work scheme.
I have two options when I go to collect my bike. Either pay for the bike myself, or go through the Cycle to Work Scheme and save a considerable amount.
At present, my work doesn't run the scheme.
Two questions:
1) Assuming I can persuade my employer to sign up to the scheme, can all this be set up and in place within the space of 4 weeks, or will this process potentially take months? I probably can't assume the bike shop will keep my bike in storage until I get myself sorted.
2) The Cycle to Work website quotes:
'Employees then apply for a Cyclescheme Voucher by finding out their Cyclescheme Employer Code and entering the information provided by the bike shop online.'
Nowhere on the website can I find a place to sign up online to apply for the Voucher. Any suggestions?

Any help much appreciated.

Gareth

1) I don't know the logistics but this does sound a ridiculously short time span for bureauocracy to rumble.
Just for the record ours was in the pipeline for over 6 years (but thats more the anti cycling will of the place (regardless of the lip service paid)) and no one dedicated person left to get on with it, even when there was someone with a bit of oomph, it took 12 months to fettle through management and finance processing.

Have you approached your head honcho and spoken to whoever runs payroll & finance to see if they're amenable and willing to set up and administer the scheme yet, There's work involved for someone & it doesn't all get done by cyclescheme, they simply facilitate to voucher.

Theres all sorts of scare stories for employers at the minute as theres issues around people that can't get a bike through this scheme (minimum wage etc) needing to be catered for at your employers expense.


2) You won't. You've missed the Important step 1 on the FAQ's. Your employer needs to sign up before you get anywhere near a voucher.

Even if your company does sign up, the process isn't instant, your company need to get on with their bit & send off to cyclescheme who can take a couple of weeks to sort out a voucher.

Do not take it as read that your bosses will be willing to participate, you need to look into it a lot closer than you have done to understand the time, financial outlay up front and additional work involved that everyone else will be considering just to hire you a cheap bike.

TBH its grit your teeth and pay up full price now or cancel it and sit it out for at least a few months if you're lucky.

Splottboy

My youngster works p/t for Morrison. He asked yesterday, and was told they don't to the Bike to Work scheme. Anyone know it this is right, as he thinks he was fobbed off? TA!

davis

I believe it's possible. Just. But you'll be lucky.

It took my employer less than 4 weeks (I believe it was around 2) to sign up using Cyclescheme as a partner. I filled in most of the form myself to reduce work for the accounts people, got a couple of signatures and went for it.

You're supposed to get a quote that you can enter on Cyclescheme's website, but the information should be stuff you already have (bike, price, your details, etc). I think I got my 2nd voucher after telling the LBS I'd buy the bike.

My workplace is pretty relaxed and fairly flexible, so it was pretty easy for me. I think most of the information on the form includes things like VAT number, company number, head office address, workforce size, accounting contact etc, so you can probably get a lot of it upfront (Google will probably help if you don't know).

alfablue

The "Request a voucher" link is to a dedicated cyclesheme web page pertaining to your employer, once they have signed up, for example, the link at the bottom of this page. http://www.cyclescheme.co.uk/59660

spasypaddy

jamesco wrote:

Can I pin a couple more questions?

We're a small office of 6-7 people and use an accountant to manage payroll, VAT etc; how much would we be looking at in extra charges (by the accountants) for implementing this scheme? Do we just need to tell the accountant to adjust the pay by x pounds for each person signing-up, or does it involve a lot of accountant-time?

Perhaps 3 or 4 people would be interested in the scheme, so to get it going I'd need to show the boss that it won't end up costing hundreds of pounds in extra accountancy fees, and the accountant does charge like a wounded bull! Any experience would be great, especially in how to do as much of it as possible ourselves.

Cheers,
James

the accountant shouldnt charge any more for the payroll adjustment as it is a simple adjustment. i know this as i work for an accountants and one of my roles is helping out with the payroll...

alfablue

don't forget, the employer stands to make money out of the scheme (no NI contributions on 12% of the employees earnings, a final payment typically £50 per £1000, and some employers keep the VAT, £175 per £1000, so they stand to make either £170, or £345 per £1000, depending on where their conscience lies regarding passing the VAT saving on to the employee) so this covers any admin costs several times over.

jamesco

Thanks, spasy & alfa, that's just what we wanted to hear. Can't wait to get this setup - my bottom bracket is as crunchy as muesli, time to go shopping