This guide aims to help people working in Adult Social Care understand how to recognise and reward people involved in work to make strategic and day-to-day change happen.

It focuses on arranging payment for people’s time.

It should be read alongside the Adult Social Care Co-production Recognition and Reward Policy.

Any offer of payment for co-production is subject to the advance approval of the Executive Director of Adults, Wellbeing and Culture, Service Director or Head of Service for the relevant area. If you do not hold one of these roles, please seek approval before offering payment.

Discuss options for payment with people when you arrange one-off or longer-term work with them and make sure people know how much they will be paid if that’s how they choose to be rewarded.

For general information about payments, please refer to the Getting paid for your time co-production guide.

Payment for people in receipt of benefits

If people are in receipt of benefits, they must tell Jobcentre Plus about any payment they have been offered. This includes payment in gift vouchers.

Payment for co-production may affect their benefits, and if people don’t get permission from Jobcentre Plus, or they earn more than any payment limits, their benefits could be stopped or reduced.

You may need to support people to understand their options around payments if they receive benefits.

There is useful information on the SCIE website at Paying people who receive benefits: Co-production.

Doncaster Citizen’s Advice Bureau (CAB) can also advise people about the impact of payments on their benefits.

Tax and national insurance implications

If we pay people for their time, this counts as earnings, even if we pay them with a gift voucher.

This means people we pay count as being self-employed, because they are working for themselves, and they are paid for a service they provide.

If people accept payment for their time, they may have to tell the government that they are self-employed and may be required to pay tax on the money they earn.

HMRC can advise people about their tax situation, and TaxAid have a helpline and lots of information on their website.

How much to pay

Our policy is to pay people £50 for each half day of their time – one morning or one afternoon – for equal participation in work.

If people are participating for example as meeting chairs, workshop facilitators or guest speakers, preparation time should also be paid. This includes time in face-to-face meetings, and time to prepare presentations.

Paying people by bank transfer

Paying people for the first time

Ask people to complete the Co-production payment claim form so we have details of the work they have been involved in and their bank account details.

You will need to set them up as a supplier using the details on their claim form. You can do this via i-Serve at Request supplier set up. Set up is very quick – usually same day or the next day. You will be sent details of the person’s supplier number.

When the person is set up as a supplier, please send a copy of the claim form and the person’s supplier number to PA-DASS@doncaster.gov.uk to request payment. Copy in coproduction@doncaster.gov.uk so the claim can be recorded on the Co-production fund log.

Paying people who have been paid previously

Once people are set up on the system, if they are involved in regular co-production work with us they do not need to complete the claim form every time, as long as the work has been approved by a member of the senior leadership team.

To pay people who are already set up as suppliers, please email PA-DASS@doncaster.gov.uk to request payment. Copy in coproduction@doncaster.gov.uk so the claim can be recorded on the Co-production fund log.

You will need to include the following information:

• The name of the person
• Their supplier number
• Details of the activity (e.g. Making it Real Board, Direct payments working group meeting, Recruitment to [name of post])
• What the person’s role was (e.g. chair, co-chair, facilitator, participant, speaker)
• The date of the activity
• The duration of the activity (half day, full day)
• Amount owed for the person’s time
• Amount owed for expenses
• Information about what the expenses are for, for example lunch, taxi fares, parking.

Paying people with gift vouchers

We usually use Love2Shop gift vouchers which can be used in a wide range of shops.

If people choose to be paid with gift vouchers, you will need to email PA-DASS@doncaster.gov.uk to request the vouchers. Copy in coproduction@doncaster.gov.uk so the claim can be recorded on the Co-production fund log.

You will need to include the following information:

• The name of the person
• The address the vouchers should be sent to. This may be the person’s address, or your work address
• Details of the activity (e.g. Making it Real Board, Direct payments working group meeting, Recruitment to [name of post])
• What the person’s role was (e.g. chair, co-chair, facilitator, participant, speaker)
• The date of the activity
• The duration of the activity (half day, full day)
• Amount owed for the person’s time
• Amount owed for expenses
• Information about what the expenses are for, for example lunch, taxi fares, parking.

If people choose to be paid with gift vouchers, you will need to pay their expenses in gift vouchers too. Expenses will need to be rounded up to the nearest £5. For example, if the person has spent £12 on a taxi, they would receive a voucher for £15.

Payment to an organisation

Sometimes people may prefer for an organisation to be paid on their behalf, if they work with that organisation on a voluntary basis.

In this situation, follow the guidance above around paying people by bank transfer, but instead of setting the person up as a supplier, you will need to set the organisation up as a supplier. You will need to send all the information detailed above, plus the name of the organisation and the organisation’s supplier number to PA-DASS@doncaster.gov.uk and coproduction@doncaster.gov.uk.

Alternatives to payment

If people choose not to accept payment, you should discuss alternative ways of recognising and rewarding them for their time. Alternatives could include a place on a training course, or the use of a council meeting room.

Purchasing equipment or technology to support co-production

The purchase of equipment or technology by, or on behalf of, a person will be funded as a one-off where it is agreed that the equipment/technology will support the person to engage in co-production activities and if they haven't got means to fund it themselves. Check first whether Doncaster Citizens Advice can support people with access to technology. Digital Support

Further information

If you require any further information, please contact coproduction@doncaster.gov.uk 

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