We're a
Perkbox partner
Learn More

About Umbrella Contracts

An umbrella company will always do two things – organise your payment and provide a support service to ensure that you don’t get bogged down in paperwork and admin. At Umbrella Contracts Limited we do exactly that and what’s more, we believe we do it better than any other umbrella company on the market. Why? Because we have the interests of every one of our contractors built into our service philosophy – quite simply, ‘we exist to get you paid’, and everything else flows from this.

We are a company built by contractors for contractors with the sole aim of making the lives of other contractors easier. We operate a Faster Payment system ensuring that you receive your salary in a timely fashion and where possible on the same-day.

What’s more, our umbrella company has over 12 years of experience and is firmly established in the industry of contractors working through umbrella companies. We’ve have built our reputation on delivering a sound service structure backed up by a bespoke infrastructure that delivers a secure and professional contractor portal.

Our team looks after the payment process by calculating any necessary deductions from the gross contract value, such Employers NIERS,  tax and National Insurance Contributions (NIC).

You can join us instantly and we can have you up and running within our umbrella company the same-day. Once you are up and running, you can instantly benefit from our incredible employee support services and back-office team taking over all of the tedious paperwork and contract admin, freeing up your time to focus on the job at hand. One phone call and the majority of the paperwork you’ll ever have to deal with is your timesheets.

Working through us you will have the support of a great and responsive team. We’re contractor-centric; you’re not just another payroll number, we value YOU and we are here if ever you need to chat. We have a small customer facing team so you will speak with the same people every time you call.

You’ll also receive Perkbox Gold membership, giving you access to hundreds of discounts on a monthly basis.

Interested in refering a friend?

We're happy to send you a £50 Gift Card for every successful referral that you provide.

Our Services

At UCL we recognize that our customers, clients and colleagues are integral to our success. Over 12+ years we have refined our range of services to cater to contractors and businesses across all sectors and industries in the UK and internationally.

As our employee you’ll receive full contract management, we’ll take care of the agency correspondence and you’ll benefit from our secure PAYE payroll platform which calculates relevant deductions and processes same-day payments for everyone.

Every UCL employee is covered by our comprehensive insurance throughout their assignment, and we’ll clearly explain your entitlement to statutory holiday pay, sick pay and maternity pay in our company handbook. You’ll also be auto-enrolled onto our highly recommended pension scheme when you join us.

We guarantee industry-leading customer service levels – you’ll always be able to reach us by phone or email during regular office hours.

Same Day Payment

We guarantee faster payments directly to your chosen bank account. You’ll be informed throughout and you can easily check previous payslips on your personal online portal.

Quick Application

You can register anytime – our online portal is accessible on all devices. We aim to make your umbrella employment as straightforward and hassle-free as possible. 

Dedicated Team

Our Contractor Care Team will be there to guide you through all your queries. You can ask for a callback from a representative whenever suits your schedule best.  

Employees Put First

Our highly skilled team keep up to date with all changes to government legislation, employment and tax laws to make sure that you are looked after and  your employment rights are protected.

24/7 Portal Access

You’ll be provided with exclusive access to your own online portal. Submitting your timesheets, checking your contract details & monitoring your payment status in real-time has never been easier.

12+ Years Experience

Our highly skilled team has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the contracting world. Our longevity in the industry is testament to the quality of service we provide to both contractors and agencies.

Trusted Supplier

We work with an extensive range of recruitment agencies in all sectors & industries and are proud to say that we have trusted relationships reinforced by years of great service. 

Insurance Cover

You can rest assured that we have you covered with the correct level of Employers Liability, Employees Indemnity, and Public Liability Insurances. 

Pension Plan

As our employee, you will be entered into an auto-enrolment pension plan to guarantee you have everything that you need when you come to your retirement. 

Calculate My Pay Today

There's no obligation or pressure, just a straight-forward conversation with a friendly & professional advisor.

About Our Compliance

Compliance is at the heart of everything that we do. Adherence to law and legislation seeks to protect not only our business but every one of our contractors throughout their journey with us. We’re very proud to say that our compliance standards are, and always have been unwavering and of optimal quality.

 

There are currently more than 500,000 workers operating through umbrella companies in the UK and the number has been growing every year. As legislation and ever decreasing tax breaks makes PSC’s ever more difficult to work through umbrella companies are fast becoming the default setting for new and old contractors alike. It is easy to see the appeal for contractors as the umbrella is seen not just as offering hassle-free contracting but also a safer and more HMRC friendly way to conduct business.

We have consistently pass independent audits of our accounts and we have recently undertaken voluntary audits of our employment standards and processes.

 

Agencies can request a copy of our compliance pack by contacting us at: ContractorCare@theOffice-Online.com

Umbrella Related Legislation

IR35

If you have been contracting regularly for the last few years one can assume that at some point you will have come across the phrase ‘IR35 legislation.

While it doesn’t apply directly to an umbrella worker who is already employed by the umbrella company, it has affected many who have previously used their own Limited company.

The aim of the IR35 legislation is to stop people leaving full time employment and then returning to the same job immediately as a contractor working through their own Limited company, in order to reduce their tax liability and their NI payments.

Find out more here…

Agency Workers Regulations

The Agency Workers Regulations (AWR) were brought in on the 1st October 2011, are applicable to all ‘agency workers’ and aim to give them all the exact same work and employment conditions as a permanent member of staff doing the same job.

GAAR

GAAR came into effect on the 17th July 2013 and was introduced in order to counteract any ‘tax advantages arising from any tax arrangements that are abusive.’ The legislation is built around existing tax arrangements, wherein obtaining a tax advantage is ‘one of the main purposes’ of those arrangements.

Onshore Intermediaries

On 6th April 2014 Onshore Employment Intermediaries legislation (false employment) was introduced as part of the 2014 budget. The aim of this legislation is to make sure that those recruitment agencies who hire self-employed traders who are actually employees (working on behalf of their long-term clients) take responsibility for deducting PAYE income tax and NIC’s from their gross pay.

Offshore Intermediaries

During the 2013 budget, the UK government announced that they would be consulting on making changes to the regulations on Offshore Employment Intermediaries in order to deter NIC and PAYE avoidance schemes.

Stay up-to-date with the latest news in your industry

Umbrella Contracts News