The Benefits of Hiring a self-employed carer

At Curam we believe that the most suitable engagement model for the vast majority of care seekers and carers is that the role of the carer should be a self-employed one. The fact that the average experience of the carers on the Curam platform is 9 years tells us that experienced carers agree with us.

Quite frankly there is a lot of disingenuous and biased advice being provided to people and families who require a care assistant. These tend to be third party recruitment and payroll providers who in many instances charge high fees for their services, or Government agencies who feel obliged to maximize HMRC’s tax take.

There are some instances where it is entirely appropriate to directly employ a care assistant – eg. If a carer works full time 9-5, five days a week for more than six months. However in our experience such one to one relationships are rare. In most cases carers work part-time for several different clients or as part of team to provide intensive support for one client. These carers also have multiple clients and their requirements change frequently.  

Here are the salient benefits of hiring self-employed workers

1. No need for PAYE or payroll
2. The money saved on PAYE and payroll can be spent on extra care hours.
3. Your carer will earn more after tax.
4. You do not run the risk of employment disputes or claims.
5. If at any time you wish to change carers for any reason you are free to do so.

6. You have choice and control and the flexibility to change your care regime as required