I thought all engineering/test/maintenance etc were run by FOCs under contract to NR?Although Network Rail don’t run any passenger services, they do now run various engineering trains.
I thought all engineering/test/maintenance etc were run by FOCs under contract to NR?Although Network Rail don’t run any passenger services, they do now run various engineering trains.
I thought all engineering/test/maintenance etc were run by FOCs under contract to NR?
So just so i am clear, i currently pay tax on my travel concessions (£503 this year) but once i reach 60 i will not pay tax on them?They are indeed taxable. think it is valued at about £600 per year, when you get to 60, you pay a lump sum to the HMRC and then after that, there is no tax. (if you have not paid, think the P11D tells you, and they find out, you will no doubt get a bill ! )
There is no longer a 2 year requirement. You just have to be living together at the same address 'continuously and permanently'. You still have to have a solicitor verify this.No they don't. Not even close to being the case. You just have to have been living together for 2 years.
Certainly know there's a fair amount of resentment from non safeguarded staff against individuals who abuse the boxes ect. Certainly know from some railway staff I know that they are not very sympathetic especially towards non railway issued priv card holders who magic pencil their boxes ect.
I’d say people like NR staff have more of a valid reason to feel aggrieved, TBH.
That was certainly the case amongst the "have nots" when I worked in NR. The argument would always be that "well you knew that when you joined" but what they didn't know "when they joined" was that the person that they would end up working beside did get travel facilities purely because they happened to be ex BR or joined before April 1996.
Generally I don't think there's too much hostility between non safeguarded and safeguarded railway staff. It's more hostility towards non railway issued boxes that causes a stir.I always find such attitudes a bit mean-spirited. Yes the staff travel benefits are a nice thing, but it must always be borne in mind that BR wages were much lower than today. What today’s staff don’t get in travel benefits they certainly get in pay, especially on-train staff.
I’d say people like NR staff have more of a valid reason to feel aggrieved, TBH.
Pretty sure it was 60, Large 'lump sum' to HMRC in the last year, certainly earlier than 65 !So just so i am clear, i currently pay tax on my travel concessions (£503 this year) but once i reach 60 i will not pay tax on them?
It was always stated at the time, by the Unions, that the increase in wages made up for the lack of travel facilities, they cited it was not a 'loss' as staff who did not get it, never did have it.That was certainly the case amongst the "have nots" when I worked in NR. The argument would always be that "well you knew that when you joined" but what they didn't know "when they joined" was that the person that they would end up working beside did get travel facilities purely because they happened to be ex BR or joined before April 1996.
Has anyone on here complained?The current system is extraordinarily generous and far more than most other workers have access to. Train crew are very well paid for a job that requires no formal qualifications, in an industry currently being propped up by the taxpayer. Compare this to nurses (for example), who have to pay for their training and have a lower starting salary, and those complaining about having to pay 25% of their travel cost look incredibly greedy! Any benefit/discount is a perk and better than nothing.
I've not come across much resentment among non-safeguarded staff for those that have it, but I'd find resentment of those that abused it completely justified, as it'd be another reason to block further rollout.I always find such attitudes a bit mean-spirited. Yes the staff travel benefits are a nice thing, but it must always be borne in mind that BR wages were much lower than today. What today’s staff don’t get in travel benefits they certainly get in pay, especially on-train staff.
For most people I know it's not that big a deal, given how often they use the train. Even if the amount is quite small, they'd rather have the money directly in the pocket because £1 taxed is still more to them than a benefit worth £1 that isn't used.I’d say people like NR staff have more of a valid reason to feel aggrieved, TBH.
You think hostility towards people abusing very generous free travel is mean-spirited? I’m curious as to what reaction you would expect.I always find such attitudes a bit mean-spirited.
Hostility toward abuse is entirely appropriate. Hostility toward correct use is not (and, to emphasise. I'm not accusing you of that).You think hostility towards people abusing very generous free travel is mean-spirited? I’m curious as to what reaction you would expect.
I always find such attitudes a bit mean-spirited. Yes the staff travel benefits are a nice thing, but it must always be borne in mind that BR wages were much lower than today. What today’s staff don’t get in travel benefits they certainly get in pay, especially on-train staff.
I’d say people like NR staff have more of a valid reason to feel aggrieved, TBH.
That was certainly the case amongst the "have nots" when I worked in NR. The argument would always be that "well you knew that when you joined" but what they didn't know "when they joined" was that the person that they would end up working beside did get travel facilities purely because they happened to be ex BR or joined before April 1996.
In 38 years of railway employment I never paid any tax on my travel concessions. I am now retired (and over 60) and still don't pay any tax.
I have been in contact with 7 of my contemporaries and so far 5 have replied and confirmed that they also have never been taxed on their free passes.
I would be interested to know where your information has come from and whether I need to keep my head down.
Read the reply from Bald Rick above first.In 38 years of railway employment I never paid any tax on my travel concessions. I am now retired (and over 60) and still don't pay any tax.
I have been in contact with 7 of my contemporaries and so far 5 have replied and confirmed that they also have never been taxed on their free passes.
I would be interested to know where your information has come from and whether I need to keep my head down.
Certainly know there's a fair amount of resentment from non safeguarded staff against individuals who abuse the boxes ect. Certainly know from some railway staff I know that they are not very sympathetic especially towards non railway issued priv card holders who magic pencil their boxes ect.
I’d say people like NR staff have more of a valid reason to feel aggrieved, TBH.
Does anyone know if there any kind of formal criteria as to which companies are permitted to pay the RDG for their staff to have these benefits? Does the company have to be rail related? If the tax on them is £500-odd then it sounds like they would only cost roughly a grand each.
(My cunning plan may be quite transparent)
That was certainly the case amongst the "have nots" when I worked in NR. The argument would always be that "well you knew that when you joined" but what they didn't know "when they joined" was that the person that they would end up working beside did get travel facilities purely because they happened to be ex BR or joined before April 1996.
NR staff do get a subsidy on travel-to-work season tickets of 75% (up to a maximum subsidy of about £2.5k or so), which does make a big difference on affordability of daily commuting.
Yes, and even a fair proportion of the newer signalling centres and ROCs are located quite poorly for arriving by train, despite often being on or near the line.But for a lot of signallers they cannot use a train to get to work, either because of geography or timetables.
But for a lot of signallers they cannot use a train to get to work, either because of geography or timetables.
I believe all operational staff who work in multiple locations should get free duty related from their main place of work to their secondary place of work or from home if they do not have a reporting point.(Including network rail staff) Its needlessly bureaucratic to get rail industry employees to apply for rail warrants or to carry around duty statements so they can get free duty related travel on other TOCs services.
This doesn't seem very efficient imho much better uring the br days where if a rail industry employee needed to travel for work purposes they could in effect hop on the train with appropriate identification and explain why they were travelling to guards/ticket checkersNR gave up on rail warrants a few years ago and uses Capita to buy tickets now, including for duty travel. There are a limited number duty passes for some TOCs in existence within NR but try getting hold of one when you need it....
As someone who has several friends who work for P&O, I can confirm this is true.Generally I don't think there's too much hostility between non safeguarded and safeguarded railway staff. It's more hostility towards non railway issued boxes that causes a stir.
I use to have a P&O ferries priv with boxes courtesy of my ex partner, although I never penciled/glued/altered it myself, I didn't know too many who didn't.
I know people who only had two boxes under P&O and they'd pretty much last them indefinitely by magic pencilling/glueing them ect or even going to channel house and making a false declaration that it had been stolen and that no boxes had been used, and issued a replacement. I'd even heard of instances of people renting their passes out for the weekend.
Because of this, it's not hard to see why there was hostility.
Indeed many jobs i've seen have specified that you must drive (or be able to get there without public transport), even if the job is to a box at a station. I suppose its to cover potential issues during disruption.But for a lot of signallers they cannot use a train to get to work, either because of geography or timetables.