Tusker is continuing to campaign to change the law to allow teachers access to salary sacrifice schemes.

The company says Government could save state maintained school teachers £1,300 a year: over 4 times more than the benefits of a 1% pay rise, at no cost to the taxpayer.

State maintained school teachers are currently excluded from accessing salary sacrifice car schemes or “car to work” schemes, which is becoming an increasingly popular option for fleets in the UK.

The schemes give employees a brand new, environmentally friendly car with the added bonus of fuel, income tax and National Insurance contribution savings of around £1,300 per year.

This saving dwarfs the 1% pay rise most teachers can expect to get this year, which would equate to a maximum increase of around £300 for a classroom teacher. The new scheme could save teachers four times the ammount over the course of a year.

The Government has now said it will consider changing the rules, which could open the scheme to teachers: and independent research has shown that over time this would not cost the Government any money.

Lee Helyer, a teacher at Shaftesbury High School and the NUT divisional secretary for Harrow, said: "It could be done tomorrow. Let maintained school teachers have the same benefits as those in academies and help them get to work. It doesn't cost anything and would make a huge difference to many teachers busy working lives and as a result the young people they teach."

Salary sacrifice car schemes provider Tusker has been working with teachers to lead a cross-party campaign to change what the company sees as an unfair and seemingly unintended Government rule, which makes them one of the only professions banned from the schemes.

Teachers from across the country have shown their support for the scheme by signing an online petition.

Tusker’s chief executive, David Hosking  (pictured) said: “If we are going to retain the very best teachers for our children, we shouldn’t be excluding them from one of the most popular employee benefits – especially one that will not cost the Government anything over time.

“We hear from teachers in our customer areas every day about how unfair it is that they are not able to access our schemes, but any other profession can – this needs to change.”

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