↩️ Coming from the Direct Payments guide?
This guide picks up once you've decided to use a Direct Payment to employ a personal assistant (PA) directly, rather than going through an agency. If you haven't been assessed or set up a Direct Payment yet, start there first.
🧑💼 What's actually involved
If you use a Direct Payment to employ a PA yourself, you become their employer in the legal sense — with the responsibilities that come with that. It's more involved than paying an agency, but it's also how most people get the most flexible, personal fit of carer.
- A dedicated bank account — to receive the Direct Payment and pay wages from, kept separate from your own money
- Registering as an employer with HMRC — so tax and National Insurance can be handled through PAYE
- At least the National Minimum/Living Wage — and correctly working out holiday pay, which employees are legally entitled to
- Employer's Liability Insurance — a legal requirement once you employ someone, even part-time
- A written contract of employment — setting out hours, pay, and duties
- Right to work checks — confirming the person you're employing is legally allowed to work in the UK
- Pension auto-enrolment — may apply depending on the PA's age and earnings
This sounds like a lot, but you're not expected to manage it all from scratch — most councils fund or signpost a local Direct Payments Support Service that can handle payroll, contracts, and HMRC registration on your behalf, often for free or at low cost.
🧾 What exactly is a payroll service?
This is the part that takes almost all of the paperwork above off your plate. A payroll service — usually run by, or funded through, your council's Direct Payments Support Service — manages the actual mechanics of paying your PA correctly and legally, so you don't have to become a payroll expert yourself.
- Works out your PA's pay, tax, and National Insurance deductions each pay period
- Issues proper payslips to your PA
- Submits the required reports to HMRC on your behalf (known as Real Time Information, or RTI)
- Handles pension auto-enrolment paperwork if it applies
- Registers you as an employer with HMRC in the first place, if you haven't done this before
You typically send them the PA's hours worked each period, and they do the calculations and paperwork. Many council-linked support services offer this free or at a low fixed monthly cost, funded from within the Direct Payment itself — ask your council which service covers your area before assuming you'll have to sort this out alone.
🔍 DBS checks — who arranges them, and who pays
A DBS check (Disclosure and Barring Service) shows whether someone has a criminal record relevant to working with a vulnerable adult. For a personal assistant providing personal care, an Enhanced DBS check is the standard, and most councils will expect one before the PA starts.
- Who arranges it: as the employer, this is technically your responsibility — but individuals can't apply for an Enhanced DBS check alone. You need to go through a registered "umbrella body," and your local Direct Payments Support Service usually acts as one and will handle the application for you
- Who pays: usually funded from the Direct Payment itself, as a legitimate part of setting up safe care — check with your council or support service, as some cover the cost directly rather than it coming out of your payment
- What it costs: the government fee for an Enhanced DBS check is £49.50, plus an admin fee from the umbrella body (typically £10–£40) — so the total usually lands somewhere between £60 and £90
- How long it takes: usually a few weeks, so it's worth starting this as soon as you've found a PA, rather than waiting until their intended start date
✅ Getting started — a rough order
- Agree the Direct Payment and open a dedicated bank account for it
- Find your local Direct Payments Support Service and ask what they cover — payroll, DBS, contracts
- Advertise, interview, and choose your PA
- Start the Enhanced DBS check as early as possible — it can take a few weeks
- Register as an employer with HMRC (or let your support service do this for you)
- Put a written contract of employment in place before their first shift
- Set up Employer's Liability Insurance
- Confirm payroll is running before the end of the PA's first pay period
Payroll, contracts, DBS applications, and HMRC registration — often free or low-cost.
gov.uk — find your council
Assessments, eligibility, and how to get a Direct Payment in the first place.
carersinfo.com/direct-payments
- —[1] GOV.UK — Apply for direct payments for social care
- —[2] GOV.UK — Register as an employer
- —[3] GOV.UK — DBS checks — requesting a check
- —[4] ACAS — Employing staff for the first time
- —[5] Disclosure and Barring Service — current fee schedule, effective from December 2024
Independent. CarersInfo is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to any local authority, HMRC, ACAS, the DBS, or any organisation linked from this page.
Not advice. This guide gives general guidance based on content correct as of July 2026. It is not legal, financial or employment advice. Rules and costs can change, and vary between local authorities — always confirm current details with your own council or a qualified adviser.
No liability. CarersInfo accepts no responsibility for any loss or other consequence arising from reliance on the information shown here.
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