Cycle to work scheme - +

[Willow]

I bought my new bike last weekend. Had a quick look at the scheme but decided as I didn't think I would be cycling to work until next Sept that I wouldn't qualify. This afternoon a friend said she bought her bike under the scheme and she never cycles to work. Is it possible to join up retrospectively assuming my emplooyer (Surrey county Council) has such a scheme.


today was my day off so I cycled 6 children to school in the pouring rain (not all mine I hasten to add) the car drivers are unbelievable absolutely no consideration even though our right of way. Have told the children to ride down the middle of their side of the road when there are parked cars etc on other side so that the stupid drives can't try to squeeze past.

 

[bigguy]

Good on ya! keep it up......... yes, you will find that car drivers, and worse, some lorry drivers, dont give much room to cyclists... you have to ride defensively, watching out for their next (sometimes stupid) manuvere...I find roundabouts to be the most risky..

 

[HF2300]

Is it possible to join up retrospectively assuming my emplooyer (Surrey county Council) has such a scheme.

Sadly not - not without some sort of fiddle, anyway

 

[pjm]

The rules on the use of a bike bought under the scheme are:

The exemption is also subject to the condition that the employee must use the cycle or safety equipment mainly for qualifying journeys.

• For this purpose “qualifying journey”, in relation to an employee, means a journey—
  (a)
  between his home and workplace, or
  
  (
  between one workplace and another,
  
  
  
  in connection with the performance of the duties of the employment

So you can in theory use it for whatever you want as long as its mostly commuting. Clearly your friend and I'm sure a lot of others realise that this is impossible to police after the bike has been purchased.

You definitely won't be able to use it retrospectively.

I wouldn't worry too much that you missed out on it, the majority of feedback I've had as that the schemes can be a considerable headache. Not sure who administers your scheme, but I know that a lot of suppliers make it pretty difficult to try out different bikes, and if they don't have what you want in stock, you have to order it, and once its ordered, if you don't like it, you can't send it back without losing your deposit. Also your employer remains the owner of the bicycle and its is theoretically at their discretion what they do with it at the end of the 1 year period in which you pay for it.

 

[GrahamG]

My company refused to do the scheme.

In the end found the bike of my choice (after a "heads up" on this forum) at the same price that I would have got the bike at, if sourced from the Scheme. Plus no hassle about monthly repayments and buying the bike at the end of the scheme etc.

I managed to get a £400 bike for £360 outwith the Scheme.

That's a 10% discount - I saved 43% on cyclescheme:?:

 

[skwerl]

I bought my new bike last weekend. Had a quick look at the scheme but decided as I didn't think I would be cycling to work until next Sept that I wouldn't qualify. This afternoon a friend said she bought her bike under the scheme and she never cycles to work. Is it possible to join up retrospectively assuming my emplooyer (Surrey county Council) has such a scheme.
.

when you say 'restrospectively' what do you refer to? The scheme doesn't run with the tax year, it's dependent on your company, so can be joined any time. My comany opens our flex benefits scheme every April and it's at that point you can select bikes-for-work as an option. Once the flex admin period ends I can't make changes again for 12 months. That's just my company (and many others) though. Yours may allow you to join bikes-for-work at any time during their financial year.

 

[skwerl]

That's a 10% discount - I saved 43% on cyclescheme:?:

how come you saved 43%? I save 40% tax plus 1% NI

 

[Willow]

restrospectively - I've already bought the bike so they'd have to buy it off me - unlikely I guess

 

[HF2300]

restrospectively - I've already bought the bike so they'd have to buy it off me - unlikely I guess

Again ()... You definitely can't do this, I'm afraid. The reason is because for the scheme to work you have to be exchanging a reduction in gross salary for a benefit in kind. If you joined having already bought the bike, it would just count as the employer taking on your financial liability, so (1) no tax break, (2) it might count as a taxable benefit,

 

[skwerl]

restrospectively - I've already bought the bike so they'd have to buy it off me - unlikely I guess

Sorry - missed the start of your post that clearly states you've already bought the bike!

 

[GrahamG]

how come you saved 43%? I save 40% tax plus 1% NI

I'm a lower rate tax payer but the company passed on the VAT saving too so it worked out about 43% - it would have been about 50% if I was a higher rate tax payer. I didn't have to buy the bike at the end of it either; they must have just gifted it and put £00.01 against the value or something because nobody was ever asked for money!

 

[Sh4rkyBloke]

Suzi - if you could somehow get a refund (obviously the bike would have to be unfit for purpose etc.) then you could feasibly start again using the scheme...

 

[Sh4rkyBloke]

Did that sound as dishonest to you lot when reading it too??


lol - sorry! Was an honest suggestion.

 

[skwerl]

I'm a lower rate tax payer but the company passed on the VAT saving too so it worked out about 43% - it would have been about 50% if I was a higher rate tax payer. I didn't have to buy the bike at the end of it either; they must have just gifted it and put £00.01 against the value or something because nobody was ever asked for money!

a yes. I was hoping my company would pass on the VAt as well so I'd be looking at pretty much a 60% discount. Alas, they keep the VAT for themselves. Can't complain though

 

[Willow]

just occurred to me that never mind cycle to work scheme they should do a cycle to school scheme - bikes for parents and children now that would get some of the cars off the road.