PAYE, Insurance, Hours & Annual Leave for privately hiring carers

Wages, hours, leave, insurance – some of the ‘admin’ you’ll need to handle when privately employing a PA or carer. Below, you’ll find some information and sources for these tasks. They may seem daunting, but knowing what you need to do is almost half the job.

Employer’s Liability Insurance is a legal requirement when employing a carer or personal assistant at home. You must be covered for at least £5 million and the cover must be provided by an authorised insurer. You can find out more about the requirements on Gov.UK. You should ensure you’re covered in line with these rules. Without cover, you could face legal proceedings including heavy fines.

You must also display your Employer’s Liability Insurance certificate. This should also be made available to any employees and inspectors upon request.

We’ve created three levels of cover that aim to offer our customers a choice of insurance to suit their needs. In order of level and price, they are called Basic Protect, Care Protect, and Healthcare Protect. A detailed breakdown of these policies can be found on our main product page where you’ll also find links to the policy documentation that outlines all the benefits and exclusions.

When you shop around, it’s important to spend time reading the policy information so that you fully understand your cover. If you need assistance on making an informed decision on insurance, our team is on hand to talk.

Contact us or call us on 0333 331 3770. You can also use our Live Chat feature in the bottom right-hand corner of our website.

It’s important to understand your employees’ rights on working hours and annual leave. Information on this can be found on the UK Gov website. Following these rules are an important legal requirement for any employer.

Another responsibility is paying wages to your carer. As part of this, you will need to observe the government rules around PAYE. This covers things like tax and National Insurance deductions. Get the latest information from the Government website.

If between 22 and state pension age (correct in April 2023), employees must be offered a workplace pension scheme. Furthermore, if they meet the earnings requirements, they must also receive a pension from you. A full guide on what you need to know can be found on the Pension Regulator’s website.