Your questions answered
Agency Related Questions
Can I work through different agencies?Yes, you are able to work through any number of agencies and you can change or add agencies at any time. If, for example, your Contract ends and you get a new assignment through a new agency you can continue to work through Key Portfolio. However, this may change your payment day. Our Client Care Team can advise you.
What do I do if I start to work through a new agency?In order to add a new agency you need to send the request by post, email to addingagencies@mykeypay.com or send a request by fax to 0845 371 0304. You need to include your name, Key Reference Number, your consultant’s name and contact number and the name of the agency.
Does my agency use Key?We can easily check and if your agency is not currently on our list of partners we will contact them and take them through the process of working with us. Once everything is in place we will let you know and advise you if there are any changes to your payment day.
What day will I get paid?Your pay cycle depends on the agency that you work for and whether they operate a weekly, fortnightly or monthly payroll. Your pay will be transferred directly to your designated bank or building society account to appear on the 3rd working day following the date that we receive funds. For example if we receive cleared funds on a Wednesday we process your pay and send it to your bank account to arrive by the Friday.
What time will I get paid?Most candidates who are paid weekly or fortnightly will have a set day of the week on which they will receive funds. Due to banking processes that we cannot control, we can’t always guarantee that the funds will be cleared first thing in the morning on that day. Therefore, please be aware that your money can reach your account at any time up until midnight on the day that you expect to be paid. If you are paid by same-day CHAPS payment, your funds will not be available until at least 3pm on the day on which your payroll is run, but will always clear by 7.00pm at the latest.
Expenses
How will I know that you have received my expense claims? Your expenses appear on your payslip. You can check these at any time using our online member login from our website at mykeypay.com or you can call us or email us to check. Emails should be sent to portfolio@mykeypay.com and calls should be made to the Client Care Team on 0845 371 0303.
Why do you need receipts for some expenses and not others?The expenses that do not require receipts have been approved by HMRC and therefore are detailed as a set amount under certain qualifying conditions, for example, to claim £5 for breakfast you must leave home before 7am and purchase breakfast. For expenses where qualifying conditions have not been set, we require original receipts to verify the exact amounts being claimed.
Why have you not taken all my expenses into account when you processed my last pay?In any payment we make to you, we will always process as many of your expenses as we can. However, we must ensure compliance with the National Minimum Wage requirements.
In addition, holiday pay is included in your rate (unless there are special arrangements with your recruitment agency) and this must also be accounted for. Thus, there is a maximum amount of your expenses that we can process against any one payment.
Currently, the National Minimum Wage is £5.80 per hour and the rolled-up holiday pay is 12.07%. This means that expenses must not reduce your Gross Salary to less than £6.60 per hour.
This same base-line figure of £6.60 will be used in all cases, whether your holiday pay is included in your daily rate or held over and accrued by your agency.
Any expenses that are not used against your pay will be automatically carried over and applied in your next pay.
Finally, if we do not receive your expenses on time (by 3:00pm Tuesday following the week you worked) they will not be processed as your payment will already have been calculated. Any expenses which are received late will be used in the next available payment.
What’s the deadline for submitting claims?Your Expense Form must be submitted by 3pm on the Tuesday following the period worked to ensure your expenses are processed with your pay. The deadline is the same regardless of how many agencies you have on your account.
Payslip
Will I receive a payslip? Yes, you can receive an email payslip each time Key processes your pay including any allowable expenses or you can login to your online account and view and download your payslips at any time.
I don’t understand my payslip. Can you explain it to me?Yes, you can call the Client Care Team on 0845 371 0303 anytime between 9am-5.30pm. We will be happy to talk you through any questions you may have.
Why is holiday pay not shown on my payslip?For the majority of contractors holiday pay is ‘rolled up’ and therefore included in your rate of pay which in essence is a pre-payment of paid annual leave. This is referred to in your Contract of Employment. However, additional holiday pay may be accrued through your agency and this is something you should agree with your agency directly.
I don’t understand my tax code. What does it mean?Your tax code determines the amount of tax free allowance that you have for that year. If your tax code is, for example, 647L this means that you have a tax free allowance of £6475. Here is a link to the explanation on the HMRC website http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/incometax/codes-basics.htm
Tax
Why do I have to pay Employer’s National Insurance? Employer's National Insurance (ERNI) is the employment tax that must be paid by your employer. As Key Portfolio Ltd is your employer, ERNI is included in the gross funds they receive for your services from your recruitment agency. Key deducts the appropriate amount and pays it over to HM Revenue & Customs. As ERNI is deducted at source from the funds received from your agency, it does not form part of your taxable income and therefore does not suffer income tax or Employee's National Insurance. Although this becomes an additional cost, you should still receive an increase in your take-home pay compared to PAYE.
How do I apply for a National Insurance Number?Simply call the Jobcentre Plus National Insurance Number Allocation Service on 0845 600 0643 between 8 am and 8.30pm, Monday to Friday. You will receive a date for an interview and you will be told what information you are required to bring along.
Why do I need a National Insurance Number?National Insurance refers to social security contributions made to HM Revenue & Customs and your National Insurance Number is used as your reference for the whole social security system. If you do not have a NINO this can affect your contributions records, delay payments of state benefits and possibly result in further expense to resolve the situation. Everyone who works in the UK and earns in excess of the threshold must make National Insurance contributions.
