The Health Research Authority (HRA), in collaboration with the National Institute for Health and Care Research and Health and Care Research Wales, has launched new pay guidance for members of the public involved in research.
The 'payment for public involvement in health and care research: a guide for members of the public on employment status and tax' guidance released today (18 April 2024) aims to specifically help members of the public understand and know their rights and responsibilities on receiving payment for their involvement in research.
The guidance includes information on how payment for involvement may impact on their tax and employment status.
The guidance also includes information on:
- expenses
- self-employment status
- welfare benefits
It builds on existing guidance launched last year, which gave organisations a clear framework to develop simple and timely payment policies.
An easy read version of the guidance has also been developed to make the information easier to understand for people with a learning disability and other accessibility needs. The guidance has also been translated into Welsh.
Naho Yamazaki, HRA Deputy Director of Policy and Partnerships'We’re delighted to launch this new pay guidance, which is specifically for members of the public.
'Public involvement in research improves the design and quality of research, and it is vital that members of the public are appropriately paid and reimbursed for their time.
'We know that it can be difficult to understand how receiving payment for involvement in research may affect tax and employment. The guidance provides practical and clear advice which will help members of the public know if their payment could be considered a taxable income and if their employment status or welfare benefits will be affected.
'We have also developed an easy read version of the guidance to ensure it’s fully accessible to all members of the public involved in research. We hope that the guidance supports more people to get involved in research in a way that works best for them.'
Public involvement in research refers to all the ways in which the research community works together with people, including patients, carers, advocates, service users, and members of the community in the design and delivery of research.
You can find more guidance on public involvement in health and care research here.
The guidance applies to organisations operating in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.