PhD Guidance on Stipend Pay

This information is applicable for PhD researchers who are a recipient of studentship stipend funding.

The guidance document will demonstrate how you can gain access to the self-service function of Access People XD to view your stipend payslips and P60s. This is similar to how University staff also use the system to access their salary payslips and tax information.

It can be useful to PhD researchers to have access to stipend payslips as a way to prove their income and tax status if they need to.

Please note that PhD researchers are not employed by the university, stipend payments are not taxable and PhD researchers are not required to pay National Insurance Contributions (NIC). However, any additional work carried out will be subject to Tax and National Insurance.

Each calendar month that you are a recipient of your stipend, on the portal you will normally receive a stipend payslip on the last Thursday of the month. (In December, however, the stipend payslip may be available earlier than this.)  If you are receiving your stipend at the end of the financial year (April) you will also receive a P60, which will illustrate your financial position for tax purposes for the previous tax year.

Instructions of how to gain access

Step 1: Navigate to the Research Portal www.ulster.ac.uk

Step 2: Click on Access People XD Tile for “PhD Researcher Stipend Recipients".

As you may know Ulster University uses  a signal sign on security system.   Subsequently if you have not yet logged on to the university system you will be required  to complete steps 3-5.  If, however, you have already logged in, you will enter directly to step 6.

Step 3: Select your account.

Step 4: Enter your password

Step 5: Complete the authentication process

Step 6: Accessing the Employee Dashboard

To navigate the site you may use the arrow beside the Employee Dashboard or click on the left column toolbar.  To extend the left toolbar click on the  3 lines, known as the burger bar.

Please note: If you are a recipient   of a PhD stipend, in ‘My appointments’ you will be on the system for payroll purposes as: Position –  Subsid; Department –  Monthly Fees.

If, however, you also have an additional contract with Ulster University, in ‘My appointments’ you will already be on the system for payroll purposes, with the Position and Department linked to your additional contract.

Step 7: Click on Pay from the left tool bar to see ‘My Payslips’, ‘P60 Documents’, ‘My Bank Details’.

Step 8: Select ‘VIEW ALL’  on ‘My Payslips’ to see the list of payslips available to review

Step 9: Select ‘P60 documents’ to review your P60 tax information.  Note nothing will show here, unless you were receiving payment at the end of the last financial year (April).

Step 10: Select Bank Details to see your bank details held on record, and where you will receive your monthly stipend.