Apply to renew your registration

To renew your registration, log in to your online account and select ‘Apply to renew your application’ in the section ‘Annual renewal is now open’ at the top left of the page.

You can apply to renew your registration from 1 September 2024. When it’s time to apply, we will send you an email. If your email address has changed, you must update it on your online account as soon as possible. Otherwise you may miss important emails.

If you do not know your online account login details, or you need support to update your email address, read our online account guide.

No option to renew on online account

If there is no ‘Annual renewal is now open’ section on your online account, it is likely because you:

• joined the register after 1 September 2024
• had your registration restored after 1 September 2024

If you think you should be able to renew, but you are not able to on your online account, send us an email with a screenshot of your online account so that we can investigate.

The renewal application form was designed with social workers.

The form should take you less than 30 minutes to complete, but we recommend that you give yourself as much time as possible.

If you have not met the CPD requirements when you complete the renewal application form, we will prompt you to do so during the application process. This means it will take you longer to complete the form. You will also have the option to ‘skip’ the CPD step by declaring that you will meet the CPD requirements before 30 November.

If you need to take a break during the application, you can save your progress and return later via your online account.

If you’re having issues with the online account not working as expected, it may be related to the browser you are using, or your internet settings.

Following the steps in our website support guide may help solve the problem.

You will be asked to confirm or update your personal, contact and employment information in the form.

Changing your personal details

If you need to change your name or your nationality you will need to provide evidence of this, for example a marriage certificate, certificate of citizenship or passport. The evidence will need to be a high quality colour image that clearly shows the entire document.

You may have provided information (for example about your nationality) to previous regulators.

However, for us to ensure that the data we hold about you is correct, we may ask you to provide this again. Once you have provided this, you will not need to update this in future years unless you wish to make a change.

The name you apply to renew with (which will appear on the public register) must be the name that you use when you practise as a social worker. If this is different to the name stated on your official documents, you will need to provide a further document that shows the name you wish to use professionally.

If you have dual citizenship

If you have multiple nationalities, you only need to inform us of the nationality you wish to use for the purpose of your registration.

If your gender has changed

If you wish to update your gender identity, please read our guidance on gender identity.

If you have not made any changes but are being asked to provide evidence

You do not need to upload evidence if you are changing your contact details such as phone number, email address or home address. If the form is asking you to upload evidence, this should be because you have made changes to your personal details.

If you have not made changes to your personal details and it is still requiring you to upload evidence, please send us an email with a screenshot of the page so that we can investigate.

During the application process, we will ask you to confirm that we have the correct details of your employment as a social worker for the past 12 months. This should include any social work employment you have had outside the UK.

Your current employer's town will be disclosed on the online register, so please make sure this is up to date. If you are not sure of the exact date that you started your current post, please provide the estimated month and year.

Why you need to provide this information, including your current employer’s contact details

We need details of your employment history to help ensure public protection. This is to investigate concerns if they are raised about you, or to tell employers about any concerns raised about you or if you have been removed from the register.

When providing email addresses, please type directly into the box, ensuring that there are no spaces or special characters before or after the address.

If you work for an agency

When adding new employment details, you can choose from 4 options:

1. Employed by an organisation (for example, a local authority or the NHS)
2. Employed by an umbrella company or agency PAYE (contractors)
3. Self-employed – sole trader (independent social workers)
4. Self-employed – limited company

If you work for an organisation (such as a council) but you are employed by another company, you should use option 2. Option 3 is for people who are registered as sole traders with HMRC. If you’re a sole trader, you run your own business as an individual and are self-employed.

If you are not working/unemployed or have recently returned to work

You do not need to have been employed for 12 months to renew your registration. If you do want to tell us about your situation, you can provide details in the box ‘Additional information’ below ‘Employment details’. You do not need to tell us if you are currently unemployed.

We will also ask you to provide details of any other social work or healthcare regulators which you are currently registered with. You do not need to provide details of your current registration with Social Work England, or your past registration with HCPC.

If you are not registered with any other regulators

If you are not registered with any other regulators, then you just need to confirm that this is correct and select ‘Save and continue’.

Confirm that you have read and understood the professional standards, and that you will continue to meet them.

If you have met the CPD requirements before you apply

You can continue to edit the CPD you have already recorded, or add further CPD records on your online account, until 30 November.

If you have not recorded CPD before you apply

CPD is an important part of our professional standards, which aim to improve public safety and confidence in social work. Meeting the professional standard related to CPD is a requirement of renewing your registration.

If you have not met the CPD requirements yet, you will have the option to record CPD as part of your application. If you record CPD as part of your application, your application progress will be saved, and you will be taken to your online account. When you are ready to complete your application, you can return via your account overview.

You can also choose to record CPD after submitting your application. If you do, you will be asked to tick a CPD declaration stating: ‘I want to continue without recording CPD now and I understand that I need to record CPD before 30 November’.

If you do not record CPD by 30 November, we may decide not to renew your registration. This would mean that you would not be able to practise as a social worker in England.

We will ask you if there has been a change to your circumstances which could affect your safe and effective practice. Steps 6 to 9 will ask you about any:

• criminal convictions or cautions that you have not previously declared to us or HCPC (you do not need to declare a 'protected' conviction or caution)
• occasions when your fitness to practise has been found to be impaired by any regulatory body that you have not previously declared to us, or to HCPC
• circumstances that bar you from working with vulnerable groups
• health conditions that may affect your practice as a social worker which you have not previously declared to us, or to HCPC

Read more about what you need to declare. 

You can upload any supporting documents during the application process. If you’re unable to upload your documents, you can send your supporting documents to us by post. Please do not send original documents unless we’ve specifically requested them.

Annual registration fees are usually paid in full by card (£90) when you renew your registration or by Direct Debit in 2 instalments, on 1 October (£45) and 1 April (£45). We do not accept payments by cheque, or over the phone.

As Direct Debits are taken during the annual renewal period (1 October) you will have different payment options depending on when you apply to renew your registration.

If you do not know if you have a Direct Debit set up, or need support to update your payment details, read our online account guide.

If you complete the application between 1 September and 20 September

If you do not have a Direct Debit in place and you apply before 20 September, you will have the option to set up a Direct Debit or pay your registration fees in full by card.

If you already have a Direct Debit in place and you apply before 20 September, you will be asked whether you want to keep your existing Direct Debit or set up a new Direct Debit. You will also have the option to pay in full by card.

Regardless of whether you choose to keep your existing Direct Debit, or set up a new Direct Debit, your instalment will be taken on 1 October. You do not have to wait until the Direct Debit has gone out to submit your application to renew your registration.

If you complete the application between 21 September and 30 November

If you do not have a Direct Debit in place and you apply after 20 September, you will only have the option to pay your registration fees in full by card.

If you have a Direct Debit in place and you apply after the Direct Debit has been taken, the system will know this and will not ask for additional payment. The only exception is if your Direct Debit has failed. If that happens, you must pay your registration fee in full by card by 30 November on your online account.

If your employer wants to pay your registration fee

Your employer can pay your fee by:

• giving you their card details to make a card payment
• authorising you to set up a Direct Debit mandate to their bank account
• reimbursing you (if you’ve already paid using your card or by Direct Debit)

We do not accept purchase orders.

If you have already paid by Direct Debit, and your employer will not refund this payment, we are not able to help. However, you could cancel your Direct Debit and pay the second half of your registration fee by card in April next year.

Receipts

If you pay by Direct Debit, you should receive confirmation from GoCardless (our Direct Debit provider) that you have paid the first instalment of your registration fees (£45).

If you pay by card, you should receive an email from GOV.UK Pay that your payment was successful. We will also send a message to your online account inbox to confirm successful payment.

If you have not received either of these, please contact us so we can provide you with a receipt of payment.

Fees and maternity, paternity, parental or adoption leave

We are not able to reduce your registration fee due to maternity, paternity, parental or adoption leave. To renew your registration, you must pay the full amount. Alternatively, you can request to leave the register while you are on maternity, paternity, parental or adoption leave. It does not cost anything to leave the register, but there are fees associated with returning to the register.

Fees if you are on benefits

Paying your registration fee is a mandatory part of maintaining your registration with us. We are not able to reduce your registration fee due to claiming Universal Credit or other benefits. If you need financial support, you may find this list of support organisations helpful.

If you have recently joined the register

Our registration years run annually from 1 December to 30 November.

If you’ve recently joined the register, you will have paid a registration fee for the last part of the 2023/24 registration year. This means that you have only paid until 30 November 2024. To renew your registration for the 2024/25 registration year, you also must pay the annual registration fee of £90.

Tax relief

If you’re a UK taxpayer, you may be able to claim back tax on your annual registration fee. Read more about claiming tax relief on your registration fees, including making backdated claims.

If you are outside the UK

You can use GOV.UK Pay outside the UK. If you need support making a card payment through your online account, please email us and provide screenshots with the issues you are experiencing so we can work to resolve this for you.

Please note that payment of the registration fee is not the final step within the renewal application form. You must complete in full and submit the form. If you do not submit the form, you are at risk of being removed from the register.

Review the information you have provided. If you need to make a change, you can edit the information you have provided and return to the review page.

Continue to the next page, confirm the declarations and submit your application form.

Remember to submit the form

Please note, you must submit the form on the declarations step to complete your application. If you do not submit the form, you are at risk of being removed from the register.

Once we have received your application, we will review the information you have provided.

If you have told us about a change in your circumstances which may affect your safe and effective practice, we may ask you for more information. You must make sure that we receive this information within 14 calendar days, and no later than the end of the renewal period on 30 November.

Add or change information after submitting

You cannot make any changes to your renewal application after you have submitted it. The only exception is CPD. You can continue to add and edit CPD after you have submitted your application through ‘Your CPD’ on your online account.

To edit a CPD record, log in to your online account and go to ‘Your CPD’. Find your CPD overview at the bottom of the page. This will show the CPD you have recorded. Select ‘Edit’ to open the CPD record. You can also delete or upload attachments in this way.

Remember to submit the CPD record again. CPD will only count towards your application to renew your registration if it’s submitted.

Renewal outcomes

There are 3 possible outcomes from an application to renew:

• accepted
• refused
• accepted with conditions

We will contact you after the 30 November with our decision. This information will also be published on our public register.

Read more about what happens after you apply to renew.

Failure to renew

If you do not complete and submit your application by 30 November, your registration will lapse. This means you need to apply to restore your registration and pay a non-refundable restoration fee of £135 if you want to continue to practise as a social worker.

If your registration lapses, you must not use the protected title 'social worker'. As the regulator for social workers in England, we have a duty to ensure public protection and dealing with title misuse is an important part of this.

Please carefully read the reminder emails

If you receive reminder emails from Social Work England about renewing your registration, please do not ignore them. You are receiving these because you have actions outstanding on your online account.

There are 3 things you need to do as part of your application to renew (all of the following):

• submit your registration renewal application form
• pay the registration fee via Direct Debit or as part of your application to renew your registration
• record a minimum of 2 different pieces of continuing professional development (CPD). You must include a peer reflection with at least one of these pieces of CPD.

If you have not fully completed your renewal application, it will say what you need to do on your online account.

When you log on to your online account, 3 blocks show what you need to do to complete your registration renewal application.

The 3 blocks indicate the progress of your:

• registration renewal application form
• payment status
• CPD

If you have completed the registration renewal application form, you will be able to find a reference number beginning ‘RN’ on your online account overview.

If you’re receiving emails after requesting to leave the register

Because you are still registered with us for some time after submitting a request to leave the register, you will continue to receive communications and will still need to pay your registration fees while you remain registered.

View our guidance for social workers applying to renew their registration. 

We have tried to make the renewal process as straightforward as possible, but if you need help, please call 0808 196 2274 or email [email protected].

Our opening hours are 9am to 5pm (UK time) Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and 10am to 5pm Tuesday (excluding bank holidays).