Direct Payments for Local Councils

Local councils who offer direct payments to clients for their care services can find that using bookkeeping services such as those offered by Barrie Bookkeeping and Payroll services (BBPS) to mechanise and manage all the financial processes involved really helps them to ensure that their direct payments scheme runs smoothly.

How does the system work?

We specialise in providing bespoke services to people who need support with managing their direct care payments and anything related to payroll, for example where carers are employed as part of their support package. Payments can also be made to family members or friends who receive any type of allowance or payment to cover their care for the client, where agreed by the local council.

Once the award has been made by the council and they have allocated a direct payment amount to a client, the funds are either allocated directly to the individual, or in some cases the local council may allocate the funds to BBPS.

If the council allocates the funds to BBPS, we will manage the available funds and automate the payments for care and support as and when they are requested. This is the ideal solution for any clients awarded direct payments but who would prefer not to manage their funds via their personal bank account.

In both cases any payroll related payments can be fully managed by BBPS.

What services do we offer?

Speak to us if you need specialised advice, or if you prefer, you can simply download the information and application packs which are available from our website. Once we’ve been through your application, we will be able to:

• Produce pay-slips for carers, whether professional, or friends and family members.

• Make payments from the fund to cover wages and any other approved outgoings.

• File all of the necessary returns to the Inland Revenue and make sure that all the tax issues are in order.

• Carry out any other administration and paperwork relating to direct payments as necessary.

• Provide clients with easy to understand documentation.

• Make sure that local councils have all the management information that they need.

All of our staff members are fully qualified with the Chartered institute of Payroll Professionals and they are well qualified to be able to give clients professional advice. You can be confident in our ability to manage your direct payments professionally and accurately, at all times – so why not find out more?

Outsourcing your payroll management

If you’re a business owner, you’ll know how difficult it can be to juggle the needs of your business from day to day. SMEs are working hard to boost sales and improve their business in testing financial times, and sometimes it can feel as if the everyday ‘housekeeping’ demands get in the way of business planning and maximising your operations.

That’s where outsourcing comes into its own. Getting a professional in to manage repetitive yet vitally important tasks like payroll is an efficient way to manage your business and your time because it frees you and your staff up to work on other things, and hands the whole task over to professionals who are familiar with them. The job is done efficiently and without worry that something might go wrong, or that an inexperienced or overworked staff member might make a mistake.

Is it cheaper to manage your own payroll in-house? It might be. Here at Barrie Bookkeeping, we’ll give you a competitive quote that includes absolutely everything though, so that you can weigh up whether your time would be better spent on progressing your business rather than trying to manage a payroll accounting system.

What can we do for you?

We are experts in managing payrolls for businesses of all sizes, and we’ll make sure that all your staff and contractors are paid the right amounts, on time, securely and regularly. No more worrying about booking time out of your busy week to organise pay day, you can leave the whole operation in our capable hands and we’ll make sure everything is taken care of.

We’ll make sure that all of your PAYE obligations to the Inland Revenue are met, too. All you need to do is give us the correct information and we’ll organise everything. We use Inland Revenue accredited software to automate payments and we ensure that everything is processed accurately and on time.

We can set up:

• PAYE payments via BACS
• P45's - P14's - P35's - P60's - P11's
• Monthly P32's
• Payslips produced weekly, fortnightly, 4-weekly or monthly.
• SSP, SMP & SPP calculated.
• Optional postal service to employees.

So, if the stress of dealing with PAYE, tax forms, BACS payments and more is getting to you, and you’re finding yourself spending more and more time on a task you’d rather not have to take on, why not speak to us about handing everything over to professionals?

We have a great reputation and most of our business comes from referrals and repeat custom, so we know we’ll be able to take that onerous task off your hands, and get your payroll operating efficiently in no time.

Uniform Tax Rebate

In our cash-strapped times, it’s quite often the little things that make all the difference. There are so many different allowances and tax rebates that you can claim through your employment, it pays to consult an expert for advice.

Did you know, for example, that if you work in an environment where you’re compelled to wear a uniform, you might be able to claim some money back from the government to cover the costs of keeping your work clothes clean and laundered? You might be looking at tax relief on 20% of the standard cost, which HMRC sets at £60 per year. OK, so that might not be a lot, but it’s a start, and you can also claim for any previous years so every little helps.

Some trades can claim more than the standard £60 for their uniform tax relief, including banks and building society staff, construction engineers, electrical and electricity supply tradespeople, fire service workers, and healthcare staff working for the NHS. There are other industries that can claim a higher rate too, so consult an expert like Barrie Bookkeeping if you think the uniform rules might apply to you.

Do you wear a uniform?

In some cases it’s obvious that you’re wearing a uniform, but in other occupations it might not be so clear cut. Does your employer make you wear branded clothing (with a corporate logo) to work? If so, you might also be in line for a tax rebate. The same might apply to you if you have to wear safety shoes or a high-viz jacket, as these are items you are made to wear to ensure that you’re safe at work. If you just wear the company’s clothes (for example if you work in a clothing shop and have to wear clothes from their collection) it’s not counted as a uniform, because you would be able to wear the clothes outside work, too.

In most cases, employers don’t do this for their staff, so the responsibility to apply for any tax relief you’re owed is yours. If it turns out that your employer has already applied, and you’re getting the allowance, you’ll just get a letter from the tax office telling you so. The money comes directly from HMRC so there’s no need to worry about your employer being annoyed at having to pay out extra cash.

If you think you could be entitled to claim some money back from HMRC because you have to wear a work uniform, you can make an application yourself, or you might prefer to consult a bookkeeper or tax expert who can advise you and make the claim on your behalf. It shouldn’t take long to get any money through that you’re owed - most claims are completed within 12 weeks. You should receive a cheque for the tax you have over paid, and in the future your tax will be calculated to take the allowance into account, so you’ll notice a little bit more money every month.