Blog | PayStream

Contractor Info

A roundup of our favourite Spring 2025 Rewards

PayStream Rewards is an incentive available to all of our umbrella employees, providing them with amazing discounts at thousands of retailers across the UK. This includes everything from popular high street brands to independent stores. Here’s a selection of some of our current top picks. Remember that offers are subject to change and T&Cs may apply.

Thu 13th Mar, 2025 | Alex Bentley

PayStream News

International Women's Day 2025 #AccelerateAction

Each year the 8th March plays host to International Women’s Day (IWD). The aim of the day is to raise awareness of bias and stereotypes as well as drive gender parity. This year we wanted to highlight some of the strong women working at PayStream across all seniority levels and departments.

Sat 8th Mar, 2025 | Alex Bentley

Industry News

Umbrella Regulation: Government’s response

On 4th March, Government responded to the “Tackling non-compliance in the umbrella company market” consultation setting out its priorities and next steps in terms of regulating umbrella companies. Although some details were confirmed, such as the effective date of April 2026, the industry still requires a great deal of clarification in order to fully prepare for the changes.

Fri 7th Mar, 2025 | Alison Roberts

Industry News

Changes to company size thresholds and their impact on off-payroll working

Changes to the Companies Act, starting 6 April 2025, are set to adjust the threshold at which a company will be described as ‘small’.

Wed 26th Feb, 2025 | Dave Johnson

Agency Info

Umbrella Regulation: The potential cost of non-compliance

Following on from the conclusion of the “tackling non-compliance in the umbrella company market” consultation, the sector now awaits the final legislation, rumoured to be arriving in summer 2025 and effective from April 2026. Although there is still uncertainty as to what measures the final legislation will include, what is clear is that the responsibility for Pay As You Earn (‘PAYE’) and National Insurance (‘NIC’) liability will move to the agency closest to the client in the supply chain, and where there is no agency, that liability will sit with the client themselves.

Thu 13th Feb, 2025 | Tony Hodkinson

Case Studies

iKas: quick and efficient onboarding

When looking for a screening provider it’s important to ensure that you’re not taking any risks you don’t need to but these are more common than some may think, PayStream’s Candidate Screening service can help to mitigate any onboarding risks whilst also improving the onboarding journey with a simple, visual workflow

Thu 6th Feb, 2025 | Steven Cheeseman

Contractor Info

5 tips for contract negotiation

As a contractor, being able to negotiate your contracts effectively is an essential skill. The aim of the game is simple, you are trying to get the highest possible contract rate. However, with that being said it’s not quite as easy as it sounds! So, here are our top 5 tips in the art of contract negotiation...

Fri 10th Jan, 2025 | Tom Sweeney

Case Studies

A friendly, customer-centric screening team

If you're in the recruitment sector and collaborating with an external team for your screening and onboarding, it's vital to select a service that is easily accessible, provides fast turnaround times, and guarantees compliance.

Sun 5th Jan, 2025 | Steven Cheeseman

Contractor Info

Protect yourself from scammers during the tax season

As HMRC’s January 31st Self Assessment deadline approaches, scammers are ramping up efforts to target unsuspecting taxpayers. With a reported 145,000 scam attempts there has been a 16.7% rise since last year and HMRC is urging taxpayers to stay vigilant. In this article, we’ll highlight a few of the strategies scammers use and how you can be more vigilant:

Fri 3rd Jan, 2025 | Alex Bentley

Case Studies

Adepto: ensured compliance with screening

Candidate Screening ensures your candidates are onboarded quickly, simply and most important compliantly, Adepto had compliance at the forefront of their mind when turning to PayStream for assistance with their documentation.

Tue 24th Dec, 2024 | Steven Cheeseman

Agency Info

Is your umbrella on the naughty or nice list?

The government is making some important changes that will affect how recruitment agencies work with umbrella companies, and we’re here to help you understand what’s coming and how you can prepare. Starting in April 2026, the measures move the responsibility for Pay As You Earn (PAYE) and NI liability to the agency closest to the client in the supply chain.

Mon 9th Dec, 2024 | Tony Hodkinson

Contractor Info

How to build a strong network as a contractor

Building a solid professional network can be a huge help in a contractor’s career. From finding new opportunities and gaining valuable insights to positioning yourself in the market, a well-connected network helps contractors support each other and succeed. Here’s how to grow a strong network that can support you throughout your contracting journey.

Thu 5th Dec, 2024 | Alex Bentley