Umbrella company recommendations?

[GwinCoch]

Hoping for a bit of advice re. a short term contracting role I am interested in working for a company closely connected to the UK Government. The day rate is fairly decent and I only have to be in the office one day a week, for four months. As part of the pre-employment checks they have asked if I am happy to be paid via Umbrella and, if so, which one. I’ve paid my own tax in previous roles but can see the benefit of going via an Umbrella, particularly given then fact that the role might only be shorter term. Do you have any Umbrella recommendations? Is Pendragon any good? Thanks so much, slightly new area for me and I want to be amenable and don’t think they would have asked the question if this wasn’t their preferred way to manage payment. TIA.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=www.itcontractorsuk.com/top-contractor-umbrella-companies.php&ved=2ahUKEwij9J2H59f_AhUtT0EAHWqrCNsQFnoECDIQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2Ekk5lmI-PYmkXPl35Btv6

No problem. It's a minefield when you're starting out.
Good luck with it all and definitely do a dance and enjoy the first pay when it hits your bank account.

Thank you, I came across that page while googling, but I’m not an IT expert. Not sure if I am an anything expert really (!) but not my area of work.

Thank you so much - I am loving that the happy pay dance is seemingly a universal contractor thing! Honestly, that makes me grin! 😆

And a glass of bubbly (sans alcohol works too). 🙂

I use Paystream currently, but I've used a couple of others before. All much of a muchness. Using Paystream now as was given a list of 3 approved umbrella companies for my current contract (government)

For sure!

Brilliant, thank you. Real world experiences is what I was looking for. Really appreciate it.

All the best you'll get there,

Thanks very much indeed, that’s really very lovely, I appreciate it a lot.

At times even when it seems oh pickles, sometimes we just have give x a go and hope for the best then with practice and experience we then build our knowledge and skills, then rinse and repeat until in theory we become alot more knowledgeable about x topics etc

I love ‘oh pickles’! I’m going to use that! Definitely where I am. Take a year off and get massive paranoia that you’ll never be employable again. Daft I know. Need to get my head back in the game!

To explain the oh pickles, being around upper level management and aiming to be professional I reworded some of the phrases I used to still emphasis on what I wanted to say but at the same time being none offensive.

Ah I have a similar word for that - I’ll be honest I used to watch Adult Swim so when I see pickles I think of Mr Pickles. Rightly or wrongly!

Most excellent bless you.

My word is HIPPO - highly paid people’s opinions. Doesn’t quite fit, but not too bad when you’ve presented something and it is overridden. Just a HIPPO situation, life will get better, get your head down, do your job, there’s always tomorrow!

It was good until the Sheriff reboot!

I'll try to remember that one, much appreciated for the word and context.

I use Paystream. They are brilliant.

once had an issue with the employer forgetting to pay, they contacted them got a same day transfer and made them pay the extra charges incurred.

lots of add on services too.

I liked the flexibility on how they handled holiday pay too, I tend to do short term with breaks in between, so i like my higher pay packets, rather than a holiday pay calculation when I take a break. Very cheap too, maybe £10.50 a week when i last used them.

I've used giant in the past. Don't think I would recommend. Expensive and difficult to get hold of, lots of missed payments they did nothing about.

I used orbital- it was v reliable.

I second the recommendation re Danbro. I'm an accountant and have been a kind of "specialist" dealing with IR35 since it was introduced nearly 25 years ago. There are so many dodgy umbrella companies, but Danbro is consistently regarded as one of the good guys.

I'd just make sure you get some illustrations from them (and any other umbrellas you contact) so that you know exactly what you'll be taking home. It comes as a surprise to new contractors that not only employEE NIC is deducted, but employER NIC also, as well as employer's apprenticeship levy and the umbrella firm's admin fee. A lot of people don't realise that it's neither the "engager" nor the "umbrella" who pay employers NIC or apprenticeship levy - it comes out of the hourly rate!

What a useful thread - thank you so much for posting. I am just about to start contracting for the 1st time and I have been confused about umbrella. The last time I came into contact with IR35 was when my now very long ago ex-H ran his own business and we needed to understand the IR35 impact.

I used Focussed Consulting as an umbrella company and have been using them for 2 years without any issues. My recruitment agency said all these companies are pretty much the same anyway but i like how this place has addressed my queries quickly (i was new to the umbrella process)