UK: National Institute for Health and Care Research: New guidance for easier payment of public contributors to research

New guidance has been launched to help organisations, researchers and involvement staff pay members of the public helping shape life-changing health and social care research across the UK and Ireland.

Slow payment a barrier

Slow and complicated payment procedures for public contributors, patients and members of the public who contribute to research, have been identified as a key barrier to inclusive and accessible public involvement, recognised by the UK and Ireland.

Developed by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), Health and Care Research Wales, and the Health Research Authority (HRA), this guide aims to support organisations to easily pay contributors by:

• describing principles of payment for public contributors and key challenges currently faced in the sector. These include inflexible payment systems, inconsistencies within departments and contradictory information
• providing direction to those managing and administering payment, and support them to understand employment status and tax regulations
• signposting to information and Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) guidance in order to inform decisions on payments based on the involvement activities such as attending events, seminars, remote document review etc

https://www.nihr.ac.uk/news/new-guidance-for-easier-payment-of-public-contributors-to-research/30845

 

Payment for public involvement in health and care research: a guide for organisations on employment status and tax

Executive summary

Background

This guidance document is aimed at organisations that pay public contributors as part of their involvement in research. It is also intended for use by researchers and research staff with a responsibility for public involvement in research.

This guidance document was co-authored by staff from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), Health Research Authority, Health and Care Research Wales, and a public contributor from Wales.

In developing this guidance document, the authors have consulted with His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to ensure that any references made to HMRC guidance are correct and interpretations accurate. Human Resources (HR) and finance professionals, public involvement leads, policy leads and members of the public with experience in the issue were also consulted.

About this guidance document
The aim of this document is to:

• Give direction to those managing and administering payment arrangements to navigate employment status and tax regulations in an appropriate way so they feel more confident
• Provide information and links to the most appropriate HMRC guidance in order to inform decisions on payments to public contributors based on involvement activities, especially around employment status

https://www.nihr.ac.uk/documents/pa...anisations-on-employment-status-and-tax/30838