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Report
National Insurance uptick could cost Welsh universities millions
Local TV
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25/06/2025
A freedom of information request from the Welsh Liberal Democrats has found Welsh universities believe they will face as much as £18million annually. We take a look at how unis will cope during a particularly tough financial period.
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00:00
Welsh universities are struggling financially at the moment, and are faced with another
00:05
financial hit, with newly uncovered figures showing the UK government's rise in national
00:10
insurance contributions could cost the sector more than £18 million a year in Wales.
00:17
The data obtained through Freedom of Information requests reveals just how severely institutions
00:21
are being affected, with Cardiff University alone saying they could face a £6.7 million
00:26
increase annually – that's equivalent to nearly a third of the £22 million in savings
00:31
the university recently said it needs to make up, with job cuts already being proposed as
00:36
part of a major financial shake-up. Swansea University will see an extra £3.5
00:42
million added to its cost, while every single university in Wales could be facing steeper
00:46
wage bill just to cover national insurance changes. It comes at a time when the higher
00:52
education sector in Wales is already struggling, with falling student numbers, rising operation
00:57
costs and shrinking income due to inflation and the long-term impact of Brexit, which has
01:02
reduced the number of overseas students applying to study here. Several institutions have warned
01:07
of growing deficits, with staff redundancies, course closures and restructuring all being
01:12
actively considered or already underway. The Welsh Liberal Democrats who submitted the
01:18
Freedom of Information request say the added cost of national insurance will only deepen the
01:22
crisis. They argue that the £18 million could otherwise have gone towards teaching,
01:26
research or avoiding job losses. With many universities already stretched thin,
01:32
questions are now being asked how much longer the current model is sustainable,
01:35
and what more can be done to support higher education through one of its toughest
01:39
financial periods in decades. James Beach Watkins, reporting for Local TV.
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