Advice and Support

Help and Advice 

Members who would like advice on general issues relating to their employment, should contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it in the first instance. You may also wish to contact your Departmental Representative who will be able to talk through problems informally and signpost relevant support.

Or follow the link to the National UCU Support Centre to find answers to many of the most common queries we receive, together with other useful material to inform and support you in your employment and union membership.

If you want specific advice or assistance to resolve an employment related issue please go to Casework

 

Recourse

Recourse is a charity that offers support services to all staff in further and higher education and their families, including:

  • Counselling: confidential, solution-focused counselling on personal and workplace issues
  • One-to-one coaching: personalised practical and emotional support via a secure email system
  • Information, advice and support material: news, guides and factsheets on relevant topics such as well-being, work-life balance, workload problems, stress management, coping with bereavement, and dealing with difficult people
  • Financial assistance: a needs-based grants and loans programme
  • Money management advice: individually tailored strategies to address financial difficulties, restructure debt and secure benefits
  • Signposting to relevant organisations: the information you need to take the next steps to a better future.

All these services can be accessed online at Recourse's website or through a 24/7 telephone support line, on Freephone 0808 802 03 04.

 

UCU Legal scheme

Members who wish to make use of the Legal Protection at Work Scheme should follow the advice contained on the UCU website (you will need to enter your UCU membership number). Please ALWAYS contact the Personal Case Officer at SUCU to discuss using the scheme.

The scheme covers employment rights, personal injury (including workplace stress) and police enquiries. It excludes defamation, representation by your own legal advisers, where your interests are in conflict with UCU's, and to bring legal action against UCU.

You must be a member of UCU whose subscriptions are up to date. Unless you joined UCU at the earliest opportunity you could, you must also have been a member for at least 90 days. UCU will not meet legal costs it has not specifically authorised.

 

Claiming Tax Relief on UCU subs

Members can claim tax back on their UCU subs - up to the last four years.

Click here to download a template letter for you to send to the HMRC, with spaces for your individual info.

You can find more information about how to claim your tax back at www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=3420.  This includes the National subscription rates for the relevant tax years.  You will need to add on our local subs which were as follows:

£8.40 per year until 2009/10 (£5.53 allowable against tax)
£14 for 2010/11 (£9.38 allowable against tax).
£18.00 for 2011/12 (£12.06 allowable against tax).
£22.34 for 2012/13 (£14.96 allowable against tax).

The HMRC usually respond in a few weeks, giving you an increase in your tax coding so you pay less tax - quite a bit less for the rest of this year if you are due a refund on previous years.  They assume the subs stay the same in subsequent years as for the latest year claimed, so you'll need to keep HMRC updated in future years.