NORTHERN RAIL SEASON ticket – wakefield Council EMPLOYEE loan application

**Please ensure that you have read the terms and conditions below before applying for a season ticket**

Personal Details
Title: / Forename:
Surname:
House No/Name:
Street:
Town/City:
Post Code:
Tel No (Daytime): / Tel No (Mobile):
Email(We will contact you by email once your ticket is ready to collect):
Employment Details
Pay Ref:
Job Title:
Service Area:
Work Location:

Double click the table below to fill in the payment details. Only highlighted boxes need completing.

Ticket Details
Origin Station: / Destination Station:
Photocard Number (if applicable): / Employees without a photocard number must provide a passport sized colour photograph with their application
Declaration
  • I confirm I have read and understood the information contained in this Employee Loan Application form including the Terms and Conditions.
  • I agree for deductions to be taken from my salary as detailed above until the loan amount has beenpaid in full.In the event I leave the Council before my loan amount has been repaid, I agree to notify Human Resources at the earliest opportunity of my leaving date.
  • In such circumstances and where I do not surrender my ticket, I agree for any outstanding balance including an admin fee to be taken from my final salary.
  • If however, the outstanding balance exceeds my final net pay, I agree to repay the total balance as per invoice procedures.

Signature:
Print name:
Date:

Once completed Please email tO

NORTHERN RAIL SEASON ticket – general information and TERMS & CONDITIONS

Introduction

As part of the Council’s commitment to encourage the use of public transport and the Travel Plan initiatives, employees can purchase annual season tickets from Northern Rail through an interest free loan which is paid back to the Council through salary deduction.

The Council is pleased to confirm they will subsidise 27.75% of the season ticket price.

By purchasing a Northern Rail season ticket employees will not only pay less because of the Council’s subsidy, they will also receive 12 weeks free train travel per year as is offered by all National Rail companies on their season tickets.

Use of the ticket is from your designated origin station to your designated destination station. You can also makejourneys inbetween your origin and destination stations. The ticket can be used at any time including evenings and weekends and on any train operator’s service between your two chosen stations.

How it works

An employee of the Council can apply for an annual season ticket and the Council will purchase it on their behalf. The employee then repays the cost of the ticket back to the Council by monthly deductions from their salary. The season ticket is for a 12 month period and the deductions from salary would also be taken over 12 months in equal amounts.

Eligibility

You must be an employee of Wakefield Council in order to apply for a season ticket. You must be a permanent employee or an employee on a temporary contract that’s end date is beyond the date of the 12 month season ticket. Casual or Agency staff are not eligible to apply for a loan. Staff based in Trust or Voluntary Aided Schools and Academies are not employees of the Council and are therefore not eligible to apply.

How to apply for a rail ticket for the first time

  • Complete the WMDC Employee Loan Application form and send it to the scheme administratorat
  • You must provide a passport size colour photograph with your application if you do not already have an existing photocard number.
  • The scheme administrator will send the application and photograph (if applicable) to Northern Rail
  • The scheme administrator will contact the applicant to arrange for them to collect their ticket when this is available.
  • The applicant will collect their ticket and complete the paperwork to agree they have received it.

Please note that the price of a rail ticket will depend on your origin and destination stations. Please go to to see the cost of your required ticket. Note this calculator does not include the 27.75% Wakefield Council subsidy.

Application timescales

  • Applications received by the scheme administrator by the 15th of the month will commence deductions from payroll the following month.
  • The scheme administrator will send all applications received by the 15th of one month to Northern Rail who send the rail tickets back to Wakefield Council by recorded delivery within 5 working days.

Start date of Rail cards

  • Start dates of the rail ticketsmust tie in with the time period in which you submit your application form to the scheme administrator.
  • e.g. applications submitted up to and including the 15th of the month should indicate a start date of the 1st date of the following month i.e. an application submitted on the 10th October will have a rail ticket start date of 1st November.
  • applications submitted after the 15th of one month, i.e. for example on the 23rd October could only start from 1st December.

How to repay the loan

Payments will be deducted from salary in equal monthly instalments by signing the application you are automatically authorising payroll to action and deductions from your salary if your application is successful.

For applications received by the scheme administrator by the 15th of the month, salary deductions will commence from payroll the following month.

Please note that the Council subsidy element of your Northern Rail season ticket is subject to ‘benefit in kind’ tax and National Insurance contributions and will result in a tax and National Insurance deduction, via PAYE.

Failure to repay the loan back in full will result in the Council taking action in accordance with the Overpayment and Recovery Policy.

Repayment of the loan will continue even if the ticket is lost or no longer being used.

What happens if you stop working for the Council or no longer require your ticket?

In the event that an employee ceases employment with the Council or the rail ticket is no longer required, the employee has two options:

  1. Surrender the ticket
    There is a £10 admin fee, payable to Northern Rail by the employee for surrendering a season ticket. This will be taken from your monthly salary.

The employee must notify the scheme administratorwith the reasons as to why they no longer require their ticket confirming the date of surrender. The scheme administratorwill then contact Northern Rail and ask for a refund value for the ticket. Refund values are based on the original value of the ticket, the period of use and the value of the remaining time left on the ticket. Refunds will be credited to Wakefield Council as they have funded the rail ticket in full.

Should a refund be agreed by Northern Rail*, the scheme administrator will contact the member of staff to agree a time and date that they can surrender their ticket.

When refunds have been agreed,the scheme administrator will notify payroll to stop any further deductions from the employee’s salary. In the event of there not being enough notice given to do this, the employee can still surrender their ticket, and the monies taken will be re-imbursed through the following month’s salary (where possible).

Should an employee agree to surrender their ticket and payment is stopped in their final salary, but they do not surrender their ticket, they will be invoiced for the full amount outstanding on the loan, including the 27.75% subsidy element that would have been paid by the Council.
All tickets surrendered will have to be delivered to the scheme administrator in person and signed for to say the Council has received it. A receipt will be given to the employee who has surrendered it for their records.
Should the refund not be granted the employee will have to continue to pay the remaining outstanding balance for their pass under the same terms and conditions they originally agreed.
*Refunds are authorised at the discretion of Northern Rail and in accordance with their refund policy. Please note there is no refund value to season tickets after 40 weeks of use, as that in effect will be the 12 week’s free travel period.

  1. Pay the outstanding balance
    If an employee wishes to pay the outstanding balance for their season ticket in order to keep the ticket after they leave the Council’s employment, it can be arranged through payroll. The remaining loan balance will be deducted from final salary (where possible) and this will include the 27.75% subsidy element that would have been paid by the Council.

In choosing this option the employee can continue to use their ticket until it expires.

What happens if an employee moves house?

If an employee moves home and needs to change their origin station then the existing season ticket needs to be returned to the scheme administrator who will return it to Northern Rail. Northern Rail will refund the Council for the remaining balance due on the ticket.

The employee will be required to complete a new Wakefield Council Employee Loan Application form detailing their new origin station details. The application will be processed in the same way as a new application (see above).

There will be adjustments made to salary deductions as appropriate if the fare has changed as a result of the move. The new rail ticket will still expire on the same date as the previously issued ticket rather than a whole new 12 month period.

What happens if you lose your ticket?

The employee must inform the scheme administrator that their ticket has been lost. The scheme administrator will then inform Northern Rail who will issue a new season ticket at their discretion. Replacement tickets will be sent to the Council for collection by the employee from the scheme administrator.

There is a £10 admin fee for the replacement of a lost ticket payable by the season ticket direct holder to Northern Rail, and this payment can be taken direct by Northern Rail from the employee over the telephone.

If a new photo ID card is required, a passport sized photograph must be supplied to the scheme administrator which will be sent to Northern Rail for the replacement ticket. Passport sized photographs can be originals or they can be scanned in and emailed with your request for a replacement ticket.

What happens if you damage your ticket?

Accidentally damaged season tickets can only be replaced if the original is returned. Employees must return the ticket to the scheme administrator and they will arrange for a replacement ticket to be issued. Employees will be informed when the replacement ticket is ready for collection.

The decision to authorise a replacement ticket is at the discretion of Northern Rail and is final.

Should a replacement ticket not be authorised any remaining balance for the original ticket must be paid for in full. This can either be done by paying the remaining balance in a lump sum through salary deductions or by monthly deductions.

What happens if your season ticket is stolen?

Employees must notify the scheme administrator and they will be required to provide a crime reference number. The scheme administrator will request a replacement ticket from Northern Rail. If a replacement photocard is required a passport sized photograph will be required. Passport sized photographs can be originals or they can be scanned in and emailed with your request for a replacement ticket.

Replacement tickets will be sent to the Council for collection by the employee from the scheme administrator.

Payments not met

Should an employee not meet their monthly payments because of for example not having sufficient funds in their salary, the Council will invoice the employee for the payment(s) not made.

Failure to pay this invoice may result in legal action being taken.

If you are planning to go on maternity leave please contact your scheme administrator as soon as possible to discuss the options that are available.

Where payments cannot be met through your salary for any reason these will be dealt with on a case by case basis to look at what arrangements can be put in place. Please contact your scheme administrator to discuss this further.

Maximum loan amount

The maximum amount of loan available to an employee is £2500.Any tickets purchased that exceed this amount must be agreed by the scheme administratorand Northern Rail. If the ticket is agreed the employee must pay the exceeding amount to the scheme administratorby cheque payable to Northern Rail before the application is processed.

Switching from a MetroCard to Northern Rail

It is possible to switch to a Northern Rail card, however, you may incur a surrender charge based on the outstanding amount due and Metro’s surrender calculations. For more details on this or to surrender the MetroCard please contact

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

All employees must agree to the Terms and Conditions for repaying their loan as detailed in this document.

The care of the season ticket is the responsibility of the employee. The Councilor Northern Rail cannot take any responsibility for any losses arising from theft, loss or damage.

Tickets can only be purchased by employees ofWakefield Council primarily to be used for home to work travel.

Tickets can only be collected by the employee who has taken out the loan unless it is agreed in writing that someone can collect it on their behalf.

Loans can only be offered to employees who are on fixed term or permanent contracts. If an employee is on a fixed term contract, a loan will only be authorised for a ticket that expires before their contract end date. Casual or Agency staff are not eligible to apply for a loan. Staff based in Trust or Voluntary Aided Schools and Academies are not employees of the Council and are therefore not eligible to apply.

We can only offer loans for season tickets that are for a 12 month period.

An employee will not be permitted to have more than one loan in any 12 month period.