People UmbrellaEngaged. Supported. Paid.
A single payroll route for agency workers, with engagement costs and payroll administration handled within the umbrella arrangement.
The industry’s go-to solution for 20 years: all applicable statutory rights, a guaranteed Friday payday, insurance cover up to £10 million and the My Wallet rewards package as standard.
Two minutes here, with a pay estimate — then our secure portal.
People Umbrella
The industry’s go-to solution for the last 20 years — for agencies and for the contractors they place.
People Umbrella
It’s been the industry’s go-to solution for the last 20 years, during that time we’ve processed several million umbrella payslips for thousands of contractors.
Agency workers are engaged directly through People Umbrella, with PAYE payroll, clear payslips and all applicable statutory obligations handled as part of the arrangement.
If you’re looking for outsourced payroll please consider our People PEO option.
What makes us different
Umbrella has been the go-to solution for the last 20 years, during that time we’ve processed several million umbrella payslips for thousands of contractors.
You will be engaged directly through People Umbrella as an agency worker. PAYE tax and your National Insurance contributions are deducted automatically. Any worker pension contribution will also be shown as a deduction on your payslip.
Getting paid. Payment is made each Friday, with cleared funds in your account by 9am. Plus, you’ll receive a text notification in advance of your pay. And your password-protected portal is available at any time, where you can check and download all your payslips. Our friendly Client Care team are on hand to help with any questions or further information.
All of this as standard
- Daily payroll runs, guaranteed in your account before 9am the following day by Faster Payments
- All applicable statutory rights
- Dedicated Client Care team
- My Wallet Reward package
- Insurance cover up to £10 million
- Compliant holiday management
- Completely compliant process
- 24/7 Contractor Portal
- Statutory pay as standard
- Typical agency worker engagements
- Work-based pension options
- Anytime Wages Service
- Real-time checking against HMRC
- PAYE & VAT accounts available to you
- Live RTI, per-worker records
Assignment rate vs gross pay
How you get paid.
- When you send your timesheet to the recruitment agency, it charges the client.
- The recruitment agency then pays the umbrella company the agreed rate. This should be the assignment rate multiplied by the time you have worked.
- People Umbrella is responsible for processing your pay under your agreed engagement terms. Your assignment details, personal illustration and Key Information Document (KID) explain the assignment rate, gross pay and applicable deductions.
Understanding how your gross pay is calculated
You have a right to a payslip that shows your pay.
You may also receive a ‘reconciliation statement’ from the umbrella company which shows you how your gross pay is worked out from the assignment rate.
How an umbrella company works out your gross pay from the assignment rate
The recruitment agency pays the umbrella company the assignment rate, then the umbrella company makes several deductions to work out your gross pay.
The reconciliation statement shows the breakdown of these deductions. You should normally see the following deductions on the statement:
- Umbrella company operating costs (sometimes called ‘margin’)
- Employer National Insurance contribution
- Employer workplace pension contribution
- Holiday pay — you are entitled to paid holidays. Your holiday pay will be deducted from the assignment rate for your job and then paid back to you when you take holiday and claim paid leave.
- Growth and Skills Levy* (if applicable)
The amount after these deductions have been taken off is your gross pay.
* From August 2026 the government renamed the Apprenticeship Levy the Growth and Skills Levy (G&S Levy for short). Payslips, Key Information Documents, invoices and contracts issued before the change may still call it the Apprenticeship Levy or App Levy.
My Wallet benefits
What makes our payroll stand out? Well apart from our efficient service, transparent process and good value, it’s our rewards package. My Wallet is a points-based platform offering a range of loyalty benefits for contractors. Your contractors will receive points each time they are paid. These points can then be redeemed for the rewards they want when they want them.
Got a question or need more information?
Request a payroll comparison or get in touch — our team will talk you through the options, free and with no obligation.
Chosen by contractors.
