Revealed: Cardiff University supported 170 applications for voluntary severance in 2023/24

The Cardiff Tab can reveal that Cardiff University supported 170 applications for voluntary redundancy in 2023/24.

A Freedom of Information (FOI) request made in January revealed that a total of 170 voluntary severance applications were supported by Cardiff University, before the scheme was closed in September 2024.

The voluntary severance scheme was reopened in November 2024 due to the then projected £31 million deficit the university is currently facing, which could grow to a predicted £65m if action is not taken.

In an attempt to tackle this deficit, the university announced potential course and job cuts. These jobs cuts, if they go ahead, would affect around seven per cent of Cardiff’s workforce.

To make further savings, the university has also increased the number of domestic students, it said it’s continuing to operate recruitment controls while only recruiting for what are deemed critical posts.

The FOI also showed that the number of staff members that have taken voluntary severance since the scheme reopened in November is “yet to be concluded so total numbers are not currently available”.

The university has also previously said the funding crisis is a result of a “£16 million pay award. Reduction of £6 million in grants received from Medr. Inflationary increases including energy costs of around £17 million [and] Offset by a £7 million reduction from changes in our USS contributions”.

Jo Steven’s, Cardiff’s MP, said in a statement: “While we recognise the financially challenging situation the university finds itself in…we remain very concerned about the nature and scale of the proposals and their obvious impact on all those affected.

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“We were very clear in emphasising our view that the University must take every possible step to avoid compulsory redundancies, and that the evidence and data that underpins the proposals should be provided… We also emphasised that more time should be given for the process.”

Ms Stevens has also spoken in the House of Commons about the “deeply concerning” financial struggle that Cardiff University is facing, saying: “I hope sufficient volunteers through a voluntary redundancy programme will come forward and be achieved in order to avoid any compulsory redundancies, and that support will be provided to those impacted… for the last 14 years the Conservative policies have seen our universities sector across the United Kingdom decimated.”

Since the proposals announcement at the end of January there have been a number of protests by both students and staff, including a UCU-led protest outside the Senedd and a plan to hold a vote of no confidence in the vice-chancellor’s leadership.

The Senedd has also recently called for Professor Larner to hold a one hour evidence session in May to explain the proposed cuts after a 90-day consultation period, which began on the 28th of January, ends.