Cost of living support

Cost of Living Support

We are here to support you through the cost of living crisis

Quotation

The cost of living is an increasing concern for many of us. Staff from across the University are meeting regularly to see what we can put in place ahead of the winter months. We will provide regular updates as the working group continues to meet.”

Martin Atkinson, Director of HR

Cost of Living Community Catch Up

Watch the recording from our Community catch-up on the Cost of Living (17 November 2022) and find out about the ongoing work to support students and staff. 

Emergency Support Fund

We have launched our Emergency Support Fund in response to the cost-of-living crisis. This fund aids staff facing a short-term, emergency cash flow problem.  

Salary Finance

We have now launched Salary Finance to help support you through the cost-of-living crisis.

Salary Finance is our new financial wellbeing benefit provider that offers:

  • Simple savings: Savings account with Yorkshire Building Society where contributions are transferred directly from salary to an instant access savings account, with 2.75% gross Annual Equivalent Rate (AER). You choose how much you want to save and there are no fees or hidden costs.
  • Help to Save: With this government-backed scheme, anyone receiving Working Tax Credit, Universal Credit or Child Tax Credit could earn bonus payments on their savings. 
  • Money insights: Visit the Learn platform and access simple and accessible educational resources to help you navigate and understand your finances. 
  • Loans repaid through salary: Salary Finance also offers loans at affordable rates with a higher acceptance than banks.

To find out more about Salary Finance, visit the FAQs page and head to the Salary Finance webpage see the options available.

Perks at Work

Use this dedicated Kent discount website to have access to exclusive employee pricing deals and Wow points. 

There are 30,000+ employee discounts in 20 different categories including food and groceries. 

Online currency £1 = 100 Wow loyalty points to earn and redeem through the site. 

To activate your account use your @kent.ac.uk email address. KMMS staff will need to use their Kent email address, not their KMMS email address.

If you're struggling to receive the sign up email, then add cs@perksatwork.com to your safe senders list and this should resolve the issue.    

Further help with the cost of living