Anglia Ruskin University

Payment for involvement

Why should people who become involved be paid?

Commission for Social Care Inspection (2007) in its report on the benefit barriers to involvement recognises first the importance of involving service users and carers:

• involvement gives people with first-hand experience of services an opportunity to offer their knowledge about services
• this can help to improve the design and delivery of services
• involvement is linked to active citizenship
• for some people involvement can be an effective pathway into work although this isn't the principle purpose of involvement

It recognises that people should be paid because (CSCI 2007, p. 9)

• payment is a clear recognition of the value of people's contribution
• payment demonstrates a more level playing field between those who commission, provide or monitor services and those people who use services

What are the potential barriers to involvement?

There are some barriers for receiving payments to those people on benefits when becoming involved in participating in training. These issues come under a number of areas as identified by the Commission for Social Care Inspection: (2007, p. 2):

• Most people on benefits have limits to earnings
• Reimbursed expenses for travel, personal assistants and replacement carers can be treated as earnings

Please speak to your local Citizen's Advice Bureau or Job Centre for further information.