Employee benefits

Salary sacrifice - Shared cost AVC scheme

East Lothian Council has partnered with My Money Matters to offer employees the opportunity to give up some of their gross salary (before tax) to invest in additional voluntary pension contributions. Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs) are a tax-efficient way to save for retirement. They provide an opportunity to supplement your Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) and build up an additional retirement fund. You could take this as a tax-free lump sum, or it can be used to help you retire early. .

The main advantage of the new Shared Cost AVCs over the current standard AVC option is that as well as receiving full Income Tax savings on your contributions, you will also receive National Insurance Contributions (NICs) savings on the amount of pay that you agree to sacrifice. As a result, Shared Cost AVCs allow you to save NICs in addition to Income Tax, therefore increasing your take-home pay when compared to paying the same amount into a standard AVC scheme. 

Capital Credit Union

East Lothian Council has partnered with Capital Credit Union  to offer employees the opportunity to save, borrow and manage your money with a not-for-profit financial cooperative. Members save a minimum amount per month (£15 min) which is deducted from your salary and paid straight to Capital Credit Union. As a member you can access a range of products for saving and also borrowing including competitive rates on flexible personal loans, car loans, or even mortgages.  They also have a new app and member portal to make it even easier to sign up and access your account information.

HSF Health Plan

East Lothian Council has partnered with HSF Health plan to offer employees the opportunity to spread the cost of your healthcare that is not covered free by the NHS.  The HSF health plan is a cash plan that covers you and your family for over 30 benefits with contributions starting at just over £1 week. Consider it as added security for you and your family's health in these ever-changing times!

Dental check-ups and treatment, sight tests, glasses, contact lenses - the cost of your family's day to day health can add up to a large annual bill! Getting cash back with HSF health plan is a great way of budgeting for your everyday health expenses. Contributions are deducted directly from your salary.

Salary sacrifice - Cycle to work scheme

East Lothian Council has partnered with Cyclescheme Ltd to offer employees the opportunity to give up some of their gross salary (before tax) to lease a new bike and/or cycling accessories, including e-bikes, up to a maximum spend of £4,000. You pay nothing up front and can save money on the cost of a new bike through tax and National Insurance savings on the cost of the purchase.

You can find a savings calculator, get a quote, find a list of bike suppliers (local and national), and submit an application via the Cyclescheme East Lothian website.

Local and National discount

Employees can access a wide range of local and national discounts on a range of products including holidays, high street shopping and major UK attractions.

These benefits are accessible via the employee benefits scheme website