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Support and benefits for staff relocating.
1. UCL is London’s Global University, and we are committed to supporting the recruitment and relocation of staff to support our academic mission.
2. Relocation Scheme eligibility
2.1. The Relocation Scheme applies to newly appointed academic staff and teaching staff (Grade 8-10) and senior professional services (research, technical, administrative/managerial) staff (Grades 9 and 10) who relocate their home to take up an appointment with UCL, in order to significantly reduce their travelling time to work.
2.2. Applications for relocation expenses will only be considered if the appointee has moved, within 6 months of their appointment, from the place/town where they were ordinarily resident in order to take up their appointment with UCL and the move makes a significant difference to their travel to work time.
2.3. To be eligible for the Relocation Scheme, eligible staff must have an open ended contract of employment or a fixed term contract of three years or more in duration. The scheme is not available to staff whose salaries are financed by external grants, such as research grants, Higher Education Innovation Funding (HEIF), EU grants etc.
2.4. Should a member of staff in receipt of relocation expenses or relocation supplement voluntarily leave UCL within 36 months of appointment, a proportion of the money paid to them will be repayable according to the table below:
| 12 months or less | 12 - 24 months | 24 - 36 months |
|---|---|---|
| 100% | 50% | 25% |
3. Relocation Scheme benefits
The Relocation Scheme has two elements:
4. Relocation supplement
4.1. A relocation supplement of £10,000 will be paid (pro-rata for part-time appointments) to those relocating from within the UK. A relocation supplement of £20,000 will be paid (pro-rata for part-time appointments) to those relocating from outside the UK. This is intended as a contribution to those costs not covered by the Relocation Expenses allowance (see below).The supplement is taxable and is paid through the payroll. The relocation supplement is funded locally, by the department.
4.2. Applications for a relocation supplement should be made by the Head of Department using the Relocation Supplement Form to the Director of Operations / Faculty Manager / Professional Services Director (for financial audit purposes), once the Head has confirmation that an appointee is relocating in line with the parameters of this scheme.
4.3. The Relocation Supplement request should be submitted via MyHR Departmental Transactions (MyHR) with the above form attached, this request should be submitted within 6 months of their appointment.
5. Relocation expenses
5.1. UCL will reimburse relocation expenses in accordance with the policy found here: Relocation expenses. Eligible staff should discuss their requirements with their Head of Department (or delegate) in the first instance. With the approval of their Head of Department (or delegate), an eligible staff member should contact one of UCL’s preferred suppliers of relocation services for UCL employees (see below).
5.2. UCL’s three preferred suppliers are:
- Sterling Lexicon relocation, UCLUK@sterlinglexicon.com tel +44 (0)208 841 7000;
- Robinsons Relocation, UCL@robinsonsrelo.com tel +44(0)1527 830863
- Pickfords, ucl@pickfords.com tel +44 (0) 20 37014930.
Employees must request two quotations from the contracted suppliers. The quotations, depending on the nature of the expenses, will be processed according to the workflow chart in the Relocation Factsheet.
5.3. Supplier profiles may be found in: Sterling Lexicon Relocation, Robinsons Relocation and Pickfords.
5.4. Allowable relocation expenses procured using this route will be invoiced directly to UCL Finance, who will issue the Purchase Order number on the 'Contract Particulars' document. For further Departmental guidance, see 'Departmental Factsheet'. Allowable relocation expenses are funded centrally by UCL.
5.5. At the end of a relocation exercise the supplier will provide the employee with an evaluation questionnaire and submit the completed form to the Head of Department.
6. House loans for certain groups of staff
6.1 UCL offers house loans to eligible staff relocating to take up a position in London. The loans are available to those eligible for UCL’s relocation scheme, towards the purchase of a property and form an important part of UCL’s benefits.
6.2 House loans are available towards the purchase of a property to be used as the individual’s main residence. To be eligible, staff must be eligible for UCL’s relocation scheme and have an open ended contract of employment or a fixed term contract of three years or more in duration. House loans will not be available to staff whose salaries are financed by external grants.
6.3 The maximum loan available is equivalent to one year’s salary, capped at £50,000 and interest is charged at half a per cent above the Bank of England Base Rate. The period of loan repayment is restricted to twenty-five years or the number of years to the normal state pensionable age, whichever is the lower. Both capital and interest repayments are deducted from salary on a monthly basis. Should the employee leave the service of UCL, the balance of the loan outstanding becomes immediately repayable. The preferential interest rate will be a taxable benefit.
6.4 UCL will only act as a second lender which means the member of staff must have a mortgage on the property provided by a UK bank or building society.
6.5 Requests for further terms and other enquiries should be addressed to Mark Rice (m.rice@ucl.ac.uk) and Senay Yaman Zucker (senay.zucker@ucl.ac.uk) in UCL HR.
7. Additional information
7.1. Form C3 is a form required to declare personal belongings to Customs and claim any duty and tax reliefs that may apply when returning or transferring residence from outside the European Community to the UK and may be found on the HMRC website.
7.2. Please refer to our 'Relocating to the UK' webpage.
Updated July 2023