Fees

Last updated: 29 July 2022

• About this guidance
• Fees
• Refunds
• How to pay
• Claiming back tax
• Receipts
• Can someone else pay my fees?
• Circumstances where voluntary removal from the register is not permitted
• Further information

About this guidance

This guidance is for applicants and registered social workers who would like more information about fees.

Fees

Initial registration fees

If your application to join the Social Work England register is successful, we’ll let you know through your online account that a registration fee is required.

When you first join our register, or when you first rejoin the register after being removed, your registration fee will be calculated based on the length of time remaining before the end of the current registration period as shown in the table below. Each registration period runs annually from 1 December to 30 November.

Your first registration fee will be calculated based on the length of time remaining in the current registration period, so if your application is approved between:

• 1 December and 28 February, you will pay £90.00
• 1 March and 31 May, you will pay £67.50
• 1 June and 31 August, you will pay £45.00
• 1 September and 30 November, you will pay £22.50

You must pay this fee in full within 10 working days of our first request for payment. Payment methods are shown below under ‘how to pay’. If you do not pay your fee within 10 working days, we’ll close your application.

You will then need to make a new application and pay an additional registration fee to join the register if you wish to practise as a social worker.

For more information about initial registration fees see:

• The Social Workers Regulations 2018 reg 17(1)(a)
• The Social Work England (Fees) Rules 2019 rule 4(1) and rule 9(3)
• The Social Work England (Registration) Rules 2019 rule 55

Renewal

If you wish to stay on our register, you must renew your registration annually. To do this, you’ll need to pay a £90 registration fee when you submit your application for renewal.

We do not offer any discounts.

Each year, the registration renewal period runs from the 1 September to 30 November. If you do not renew your registration in this time, you’ll be removed from the register.

You would then need to pay a restoration fee to rejoin the register. Information about restoration fees is provided below.

You can choose to pay your annual renewal fee in full or by Direct Debit in 2 instalments. If you wish to pay in full, see ‘How to pay’.

If you wish to pay by Direct Debit, the payment dates will be:

• 1 October (to cover the period 1 December to 31 May)
• 1 April (to cover the period 1 June to 30 November)

Direct Debits can be set up through your online Social Work England account.

The first Direct Debit payment must be made within 10 working days of the request to pay. We recommend you set up your Direct Debit at least 10 working days before the first instalment is due. If you do not pay your renewal fee (or a part of it) your registration will be at risk.

For more information about renewal fees see:

• The Social Workers Regulations 2018 reg 17(1)(c) and reg 13(2)
• The Social Work England (Fees) Rules 2019 rule 5(1), rule 8(2) and rule 9(2)
• The Social Work England (Registration) Rules 2019 rule 56

Restoration fees

If you’ve previously been registered with the Health and Care Professions Council or Social Work England but have since left the register, you can make an application to restore your registration.

You’ll need to pay a non-refundable restoration fee of £135 when you submit your application.

This is due to the time and resources it takes to asses this type of application and we cannot process your application without this payment. If you do not pay your fee within 10 working days, we’ll close your application.

See ‘How to pay’ for details of payment methods.

If your application is successful, you’ll also need to pay a registration fee.

More information about registration fees can be found above.

For more information about restoration fees see:

• The Children and Social Work Act 2017 reg 8 (3) (a)
• The Social Workers Regulations 2018 reg 15 and reg 17(1)(d)
• The Social Work England (Fees) Rules 2019 rule 6 (1), rule 8 (1), rule 9(3) and Schedule 1, (3)

Scrutiny fees

If you’re not a UK national and your social work qualification is from outside the UK, you’ll need to pay a scrutiny fee when you submit your application to join the Social Work England register.

This is a non-refundable payment of £495. This fee pays for the time and resources it takes to assess this type of application and your application cannot be processed without this payment.

For payment methods, see ‘How to pay’.

If your application is successful, you’ll also need to pay a registration fee. Information about registration fees is provided above.

For more information about scrutiny fees see:

• The Social Workers Regulations 2018 reg17(1)(a)
• The Social Work England (Fees) Rules 2019 rule 4(3) and rule 8(1)

Refunds

We are usually unable to process full or partial refunds for any type of payment. This includes circumstances in which you leave the register. However, we may decide to waive, reduce or refund fees in the following circumstances:

• When we are notified that a registered social worker has died.
• When a registered social worker has been suspended from the register.
• When we consider it to be fair and reasonable, having regard to an applicant’s particular circumstances. For example, an IT issue with our systems may have caused the applicant to incur a fee they should not have paid, or where an applicant’s health or personal circumstances exceptionally prevented them from interacting with their registration responsibilities (eg being in hospital and not having access to provide key documentation).

How to pay

The easiest way to make any of the above payments is through your online Social Work England account, which uses GOV.UK Pay. If you are unable to use GOV.UK Pay, please contact us.

Once you are registered you can choose to set up a Direct Debit mandate to pay to renew your registration in two equal payments of £45.00. You can set up a Direct Debit mandate through your Social Work England account.

Direct Debits must be set up at least 5 days before the next payment is due. If you set up a new Direct Debit less than 5 days before the next payment is due, you will need to pay by card.

Our Direct Debits are handled by GoCardless. GoCardless is an ISO certified secure solution, authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Visit GoCardless's website for more information.

If you are unable to pay through your online account, or by Direct Debit, it is really important that you contact us before the payment is due, we will then work with you to explore whether we can help you make payment via an alternative method. We are unable to take payment over the phone.

Claiming tax back

If you’re a UK taxpayer, you may be able to claim back tax on your annual registration fee.

For further details about claiming tax relief on your registration fees, including making backdated claims, see this section of the HMRC website.

Receipts

If you make payment by direct debit or by card we will email you confirmation of payment. It is really important that you keep this as evidence of payment. You should also be able to use this as evidence for claiming tax back or being reimbursed if someone else wishes to pay your registration fee.

Can someone else pay my fees?

This is a matter for discussion between you and the other person. Some employers wish to pay for the registration of their staff. If someone else wishes to pay for your fees this can be done in a number of ways. They can give you their card details to make a card payment, they can authorise you to set up a Direct Debit mandate to their bank account or you can pay and ask to be reimbursed. We do not accept purchase orders.

Circumstances where voluntary removal from the register is not permitted

There are certain circumstances where you will be held on the register, these are if you are:

• subject to ongoing fitness to practise proceedings
• in the process of appealing a decision made by Social Work England, either to Social Work England directly or to the County Court or High Court

See The Social Workers Regulations 2018, reg 14(1)(c)(i) and (ii) for more information.

You will continue to incur fees, and you will receive the standard reminder notifications.

We realise that you may find this a difficult time. You are recommended to continue to pay your registration fees. If you have some fees that are outstanding once your circumstances have been resolved, you should contact the registration and advice team as soon as possible and we will advise you how to make a payment.

Further information

For more information about fees please call us on 0808 196 2274or email us on [email protected].