Direct Payments - advice and information

At Enable Payroll we see direct payments as a positive and life-changing option for disabled people, enabling choice, control and greater independence.

Along with the freedom and independence that direct payments offer, there are some responsibilities that you will need to take on as an employer:

Registering as an employer with HMRC
Knowledge of the tax system and dealing with correspondence from HMRC
Calculating your staff’s pay and making relevant deductions for tax and National Insurance
Paying your employers’ National Insurance quarterly to HMRC
Filing your year end returns
Knowledge of employment law and legislation
Advertising and recruiting staff
Being aware of employee legislation so that your staff are treated fairly according to the laws that protect them
Getting employers insurance
Health & Safety regulations

Initially it may sound daunting, but it needn’t be as there are many options available that can help you deal with this responsibility. We have received lots of feedback from our customers using direct payments who say that once everything is set up, the increased flexibility and advantages that direct payments have brought to their lives is priceless! Being independent doesn’t mean that you must do everything on your own, there is plenty of good guidance and support around to help you.

Your local support service (which is sometimes an in-house service provided by the council or may be an independent organisation funded by the council) will usually help with all of the advertising and recruitment of your staff and help you with the initial set up of your direct payments. They can also put you in touch with other direct payments users who can share their experiences with you.

We work with many councils and support services helping to promote the benefits of direct payments and to explain more about how our service eases the burden of employer responsibilities. As an employment advisory support service, we give you peace of mind that all your payroll requirements are met and that you have all the advice and support you need to help keep your relationship with your personal assistant on the right lines.

If you would like to know more about our service and how we can help you, we will be happy to talk to you more about it, please call us on 0845 226 2213

For more information about direct payments and other topics related to independent living, please visit our information site, which is about sharing information for independent living, at www.enabletogether.co.uk