If you’re thinking about making a purchase and can afford to do so, there are discount websites which do loads of goods and services at discounted prices for NHS workers, including for electrical goods, fashion, jewellery, sportswear, health and fitness, beauty products, restaurants, supermarkets, gifts, holidays and cashback deals.
More money in your pocket!
And remember, when you’re in a shop, ask if they do discounts for NHS staff. Loads of them do so you may get money off your shop by simply showing your ID card.
Staff can join this via NHS Staff Benefits. Company Shop is a great resource for NHS staff to save money on everyday goods. Colleagues can purchase surplus stock (all in good condition) from a range of UK supermarkets, which would otherwise end up in landfill for small things such as mistakes on packaging. Profit from the shops is used to fund food bank projects, which also help people get back into work, so it's avoiding waste, cheaper for NHS staff and is a fantastic cause.
The Mortgage Advice Clinic is part of NHS Staff Benefits and can help with first time buyers, remortgaging, home movers and lifetime mortgages.
There’s no fee or obligation – visit the Mortgage Advice Clinic
For details on our Cycle 2 Work and Annual Zonecard schemes, visit the Physical Health page.
For advice and information on your pension(s), the two websites listed below will have all you need to know.
The Scottish Public Pensions Agency (SPPA) administers pensions on behalf of the Scottish Government for NHS Scotland employees.
*Changes to 2015 pension remedy website content: Changes have been made to the SPPA 2015 pension remedy website content following feedback from members.
Changes include:
If anyone has any concerns about the 2015 remedy, please refer to the website on the link above, or contact the SPPA on this link.
The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) is an arm’s-length organisation sponsored by the Department for Work and Pensions, which engages with HM Treasury on policy matters relating to financial capability and debt advice.
Worried about money? You are not alone. Many people are struggling financially at the moment and overcoming this starts with finding the right support.
The Scottish Government has launched the Money Support Scotland campaign for people in Scotland experiencing money worries, including a new website, which you can visit by clicking the following link, MoneySupport.scot, which pulls together all the support that's there for you, in one place.
Becoming a parent can be challenging for new mums and dads and there is a fear of the unknown ahead. You want to support your child to develop confidence, skills and independence, but will not always be sure how to do this.
Parent Club is a Scottish Government website that provides information and resources for parents, carers or parents-to-be from pregnancy through to the teenage age years.
Topics covered on the site include: health and wellbeing, finance and educational information and advice.
See what help and advice is available to you. For more information, click the following link: Parentclub.scot
The UK Government has a website that assists parents find childcare and financial support for childcare and childcare for school-age children.
This includes a step by step guides to accessing free childcare and tax-free childcare
For more information, go to: Childcare - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
By being conscious of the ways we use energy within our homes we will not only make CO2 savings, which helps the planet, but will reduce our energy costs at a time when these have been spiralling.
You will be amazed by the financial savings that can be made by making simple changes, like turning lights off when they aren’t needed (average saving of £19/yr), and as you can see below the savings can start to mount up.
Behaviour changes |
CO2 Saving |
Cost Saving per year * |
Turn down thermostat by 1 degree |
300 kg |
£105 |
Line dry clothes instead of using tumble-dryer |
50kg |
£60 |
Avoiding standby and turning appliances off |
50kg |
£55 |
Using a washing bowl instead of running hot water |
140kg |
£30 |
Draught-proof your windows and doors |
105kg |
£45 |
Install reflective radiator panels on external walls |
75kg |
£25 |
Choose a Laptop over a Desktop |
30kg |
£35 |
Replace inefficient bulbs with LEDs |
65kg |
£55 |
1 minute less in shower |
40kg |
£35 |
Only fill kettle with as much water as needed |
10kg |
£11 |
Total |
865kg |
£456 |
* average yearly savings
In addition to changing some of your behaviours, you can save money by ensuring that your home is insulated and again these options will reduce CO2 and your bills
Insulation |
CO2 Saving |
Cost Saving* |
Cavity Wall Insulation |
660kg |
£285 |
Loft Insulation 0mm – 270mm |
580kg |
£255 |
Loft Insulation 120mm – 270mm |
55kg |
£25 |
Solid Wall Insulation – External |
890kg |
£390 |
Solid wall Insulation – Internal |
890kg |
£390 |
Suspended Timber Floor Insulation |
175kg |
£75 |
Room in Roof Insulation |
30kg |
£245 |
Hot Water Cylinder 0mm – 80mm |
485kg |
£155 |
* average yearly savings
More information:
Home Energy Scotland: 0808 808 2282
Energysavingtrust.org.uk/scotland
Do you know that if you wear a uniform and you have to wash, repair or replace it yourself that you may be eligible to claim a tax rebate?
The standard flat-rate expense allowance for uniform maintenance is £60. By claiming a uniform tax refund, you'll get back the amount of tax you would otherwise have paid on that £60. So if you're a basic-rate taxpayer, you'll get 20% of £60 as a rebate – which is £12. Higher-rate taxpayers will get back £24.
Since the £60 is a flat rate, you don't need to record and report the individual amounts you actually spend.
In addition to the current year's allowance, you can backdate your claim by up to four tax years too (currently 2018/19, 2019/20, 2020/21, and 2021/2022) – so five years in total. If you were a basic-rate taxpayer who wore a uniform in each of those tax years, you could claim:
In all, a successful claim backdated all the way to 2018/19 would be worth £60 to a basic-rate taxpayer. Yet you've only until 5 April 2023 to claim the relief for 2018/19 - if you miss the deadline, you'll lose the ability to backdate for that year.
In addition to their standard allowance (£125), nurses and midwives can also claim for shoes, socks and tights.
Check the full list of occupations to see if yours is listed.
Claiming for the first time?
You can apply online or by post. Simply fill in the P87 form online or print it out and send to Pay As You Earn, HM Revenue & Customs, BX9 1AS. Write 'Repayment Claim' on the envelope to speed things up. If applying by post, you'll need to fill in one form for each year you're claiming for.
If you need the form in an alternative format, contact HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) on 0300 200 3310.
You'll be asked for information on:
When people think about trade unions they usually think that they are there to protect your rights in the workplace, to enforce health and safety, for negotiating pay with employers, or to represent you when required.
But trade unions can offer so much more.
Did you know that unions will offer financial and legal services such as help with personal injury claims, employment rights matters, wills, conveyancing; that they can provide financial assistance through benevolent funds or support lifelong learning, either through the union itself or in collaboration with other parties i.e. STUC/ TUC/employers.
The union websites will contain information on the member services that they provide. So if you’re in a union already, have a look online at the services they provide:
Most people are aware of gambling through the lottery, on sports or on casino games. However, some people can also develop a problem gambling through investments and trading or spending money in mobile or online games.
Often people don’t recognise that these are also a type of gambling and struggle to acknowledge that they have lost control.
Gambling can result in strained relationships with family, friends and colleagues; can cause severe debts and homelessness; and additionally it can cause health problems for both the gambler and their family including stress, anxiety and depression.
Signs of problem gambling
If you think you might have a gambling problem, help is available.
To start, answer these 10 questions with ‘yes’ or ‘no’:
If you’ve answered yes:
To 1 question – you might have a problem, and it would be a good idea to seek help.
To 3 questions – gambling probably feels like it’s a problem, and you should seek help.
To 5 or more questions – it’s likely gambling feels like it’s affecting every part of your life. You should get help as soon as possible.
Help and Support
There are a lot of ways to access help with problem gambling. There’s also support available if you have a loved one with a gambling problem.
Within Golden Jubilee, you can speak to your manager or Occupational Health.
The TimeforTalking service provides flexible support through face-to-face, online and telephone sessions and the Client Support team is available to help you and answer any questions.
Simply use one of the contact options below to get started:
Phone: 0330 202 0283
Website: www.timefortalking.co.uk
Gamblers Anonymous Scotland has meetings every day, and is free to attend. The meetings are informal and friendly, and there are currently around 70 meetings held in Scotland every day. Gamblers Anonymous also has a 24-hour helpline you can phone on 0370 050 8881.
Visit the Gamblers Anonymous Scotland website
If you have a loved one with a gambling problem, support is available from Gam-Anon Scotland. The organisation has supportive, confidential meetings that are separate from Gamblers Anonymous meetings. You can also phone the Gam-Anon 24-hour helpline on 0370 050 8881.
NHS Golden Jubilee, Beardmore Street, Clydebank, G81 4HX
commsenquiries@gjnh.scot.nhs.uk
0141 951 5000