INSIGHTS

[vc_row columns=”1″][vc_column link=”%7B%22url%22%3A%22%22%7D”][vc_column_text] From 1st October 2026, the Right to Work Scheme will cover more than employees working under standard employment contracts. The expanded rules include people engaged under a worker’s contract, individual subcontractors and certain workers connected through online matching services. Some businesses further up a contractual chain may also face extended civil penalty … Do Right to Work checks apply to contractors from October 2026?

[vc_row columns=”1″][vc_column link=”%7B%22url%22%3A%22%22%7D”][vc_column_text] The UK’s Right to Work Scheme will change on 1st October 2026, bringing a wider range of working arrangements within the illegal working civil penalty regime. The civil penalty for getting it wrong has fines up to £60,000 per illegal worker. Section 48 of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025 … Right to Work changes from 1st October 2026: What employers need to know

[vc_row columns=”1″][vc_column link=”%7B%22url%22%3A%22%22%7D”][vc_column_text] This is one of the easiest mistakes to make when screening journeys start to overlap. The DBS ID checking guidance says employers must complete a Right to Work check on all new recruits. Separate DBS guidance for employers is even more direct: the employer is responsible for checking whether someone has the … Mini-series | Part 6: A DBS check is not a Right to Work check

[vc_row columns=”1″][vc_column link=”%7B%22url%22%3A%22%22%7D”][vc_column_text] The official penalty data is a useful reminder that Right to Work failures are not rare edge cases. The Home Office’s anonymous national report for 1st April to 30th June 2025 recorded 617 penalties, 831 illegal workers found and a gross penalty value of £34,265,000. Digital checking is useful but the Home Office guidance still draws firm boundaries … Mini-series | Part 5: Illegal working penalties are not a theoretical risk

[vc_row columns=”1″][vc_column link=”%7B%22url%22%3A%22%22%7D”][vc_column_text] The employer guide is clear that where a person has time-limited permission to work, the employer should carry out a follow-up check shortly before that permission ends. The same guidance states that it applies to checks conducted on or after 12th February 2025 for the purpose of establishing or retaining a statutory … Mini-series | Part 4: Employers risk becoming unstuck on routine processes around rechecks

[vc_row columns=”1″][vc_column link=”%7B%22url%22%3A%22%22%7D”][vc_column_text] Digital checking is useful but the Home Office guidance still draws firm boundaries around where it works and where it does not. The June 2025 employer guide says a digital verification service can be used for British and Irish citizens who hold a valid passport or Irish passport card. It also says … Mini-series | Part 3: Digital-only Right to Work journeys can leave gaps

[vc_row columns=”1″][vc_column link=”%7B%22url%22%3A%22%22%7D”][vc_column_text] The Government’s October 2025 consultation on extending the Right to Work Scheme shows where policy is heading next. It is not limited to standard employment relationships. The consultation proposes extending checks into other working arrangements, including people engaged under a worker’s contract, individual subcontractors and online matching services. [/vc_column_text][us_separator link=”%7B%22url%22%3A%22%22%7D” show_line=”1″ thick=”2″ … Mini-series | Part 2: Right to Work is moving beyond employees

[vc_row columns=”1″][vc_column link=”%7B%22url%22%3A%22%22%7D”][vc_column_text] The Home Office’s draft code for employers, published in April 2026, is easy to misread as a technical update but it reframes compliance. The code says it will apply to employment starting on or after 1st October 2026, and to repeat checks on existing workers from that date. Its focus is avoiding … Mini-series | Part 1: The October 2026 Right to Work change is really about consistency